You can rely on me
by ZeeSammour
Summary: Instead of meeting Ino, Sakura meets Neji. They both help each other out in their lives from the age of 4. Relying on each other in life to become better people. A story where Neji and Sakura are joined at the hip from the very beginning.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one - First meeting**

She is four years old, walking into the woods surrounding her house. Her parents were fighting, _again. _Over what this time, nobody knows, and she certainly didn't care.

But it goes something like this: what will Sakura's future be?

Well, in Sakura's opinion, it's really stupid fighting over something she very well intends on deciding for herself. Although, she hasn't given it much thought ..

Her thoughts were interrupted when she herd a voice in the distance. Approaching, she found herself on the edge of a clearing. It had so much objects thrown around, from weird looking knives to weird looking star -_thingies, _to battered and odd looking dolls.

Scrunching her eyebrows she tried to think if she had seen these before, but she found nothing, not even in any of the books she'd read when she couldn't go out while her parents were arguing.

She sighed. She hated being in the dark about something. Pouting,she looked around even more; to see if something would pop up. That's when she noticed him. He was a boy with long brown hair. How she knew it was a boy with long hair? Well, he was shirtless. She doesn't know why only males go around shirtless. She has never seen a woman walking around shirtless. Is it some kind of unspoken rule? She would have to ask her dad about it.

Anyways, back to the boy. He seemed about her age. He was standing at an angel where mostly his back was facing her and just a glimpse of his face was available. He was moving around as if he was training or something. While his movement was fluid and graceful, a slight shaking in his shoulders made the movement look funny. She cocked her head to the side, watching him and trying to figure out why and _how_ that was happening.

"**Well, the shaking of the shoulders is an indication of two things: 1. Crying, 2. Laughing**". Supplied Inner.

Just then then the boy fell. She was by his side without even really thinking about it.

"Oh my God! Are you okay?! Did you hurt yourself?!"

He raised his head to look at her with a startled look on his face.

That's when she saw his eyes. Pale lavender. Is he blind? But they're so beautiful! No, wait. He's looking directly at her eyes, he can't do that and be blind!

"**Pay attention, you dolt! He's talking to us!**"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said: who are you? And what are you doing here?"

Sakura frowned.

She opened her mouth to give him a piece of her mind and then closed it just as quickly when she noticed the tear streaks on his face.

"**He's been crying.**"

Sakura knelt down to sit on the floor in front of him.

"**Great! Now you're going to get all sentimental! Can't you be a normal person and leave him be!**"

Ignoring her Inner, Sakura stuck out her hand to him and said, "Hello. I'm Sakura. I was taking a walk when I heard you training."

The boy just stared at her hand. And then as if his manners kicked in he shook her hand and said, "Neji."

Cocking her head to the side she asked, "Are you okay?"

He scowled.

"Of course I am! I'm a Hyuuga!"

Sakura furrowed her brow, "What's a Hyuuga?"

The look of shock on his face made her want to giggle, but it didn't last very long.

His scowl deepened, "My clan! How do you not know one of the biggest clans in Konoha! Every Ninja knows to tell their children about Konoha's clans, especially the _noble_ ones!"

Sakura, head still cocked to the side, blinked.

"Ninja?"

Was this girl trying to Try his patience?

He looked pissed, so much so that Sakura couldn't help but start giggling at his expression.

The look of anger vanished to make room for confusion on Neji's face.

Sakura smiled at him and asked, "You're from a Ninja clan?"

Neji deadpanned, "Yes."

If Neji hadn't seen it, he wouldn't believe that it was possible that someone could have his eyes lighten like this girl had.

Aren't her ridiculous hair color and her bright emerald eyes enough? She has to light up like that?

"Can you tell me about being a ninja? Please!"

He looked at the girl like she grew another head.

"Your parents aren't ninja?"

"Not really. Outo-san was a Jonin, but he quit being a ninja when he married Okaa-san. He doesn't really talk about it though."

Noticing the look on Neji's face she asked, "What's wrong?"

"At Least you have parents."

He had a far away look on his face and tears started gathering on the edges of his eyes that it broke Sakura's little heart.

Without really thinking about it, she reached out and hugged him around his neck, and she didn't let go even when she felt him stiffen.

"Don't feel sad! I didn't mean it! I ... I'm so sorry! Please don't cry!"

Neji was beyond shocked. His own clan, the same one that he is always proud to be a part of, never _ever_ cared if he was sad or not, but here was this girl that he met not more than 20 minutes ago trying desperately to not have him in tears.

And this realization is what triggered his reaction.

He hugged her back, as hard as he could without crushing her, and buried his head in the crook of her neck and cried his little heart out, all the while Sakura was rubbing circles on his back. She hoped it was as soothing as when her father did it for her.

She felt so bad for him, even if she didn't know exactly what happened to him, but it's obvious that he lost his parents from that last comment he said.

When the body wrecking sobs subsided, he lifted his head to look at her, and was surprised to see tears in her eyes. He felt that this girl will have a big meaning to him in the future, and although he promised himself that he wouldn't let anybody in, that no one is worth the risk of being hurt, he felt that this girl is the exception to that rule.

"You feel better?"

Yes, he decided, she would be the only person to see the real him, everybody else is to be blocked behind his stoic facade.

"Yes." A pause. "Thank you."

He gave her a small sincere smile. And she gave him the brightest smile he'd ever seen on anyone.

After that, the two moved to sit under the shade of a tree, and Neji began to tell her about his parents, how his father died, then he obliged to her request and began telling her about being a ninja, what is required, the types of attacking, and so on.

She asked a lot of questions, she really seemed interested in this.

He doesn't know why he asked it but it was out of his mouth before he could really think about it, "Would you like to train with me?"

She paused.

He guessed she was thinking very hard about something.

Then her whole face lit up.

"Yes! I would very much like it if you trained me! I would become a ninja! Just like you! And we'd fight together! And I'll be strong so those bullies at the park can't hurt me anymore! And my parents would stop fighting over my future!"

His head was spinning with all the things she said. He didn't know all those things about her. She didn't really tell him a lot about herself.

Before he could even frown, she tackled him.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Ummm .. You're welcome?"

She pulled back and gave him a bright smile.

Giving her a small one in return, he decided to ask her about it, "Hey Sakura, could you .. Umm maybe .. Could you tell me about your life?"

Her smile never faltered as she chirped, "Of course!"

And for the rest of that day he listened to her telling him about her life, her parents, the bullies, asking questions every once in a while.

When the sun began descending she stopped, "Oh, I ... Umm ... I think I should head home now, it's getting late."

His manners kicking in again, he said, "I will walk you."

She just smiled at him.

When They arrived at her house they could hear her parents' voices from outside.

Neji frowned. He looked at Sakura to see her smiling away like it was normal.

_Well_, he thought, _it probably __**is**__ normal for her_.

She thanked him, said goodbye and went in.

Neji turned around and smiled slightly.

He could finally say that fate brought him something, or rather some_body_, and that fate is not all that bad.

"I'm home!", called Sakura when she entered the house.

Her parents stopped arguing (read trying to chop each others heads off) and looked at her weirdly. She never announced her arrival this loud, and she was never jumpy despite being a four year old girl. She was more of the silent, shy type. What even bewildered them more was her continuing without waiting for a reply.

"I have some great news to tell you!"

Her parents glanced at each other, then at her, and it looks like she took that as her signal to continue.

"I found a solution to our problem!"

At the confused stares she received, her Inner deadpanned, "**Oh, really now? How cute. They don't even realize that they have a problem.**"

Tuning out her Inners rant -"**You've been doing that a lot lately.**"- she continued, "I know what I want to be when I grow up!"

She exclaimed jumping up and down with excitement.

Her father gave her a gentle look accompanied by the soft smile that she loves, and crouched down to her level with open arms. She jumped right in to his embrace. She was always a daddy's girl.

"And what's that sweetheart?"

"I want to be a ninja!"

**...**

**A/n : Well, this is my first fanfiction. And I honestly never even concederd writing a fictoin in the first place, but I got bored at work today and the idea popped in my head.**

**Hope you like it, and all criticism are welcomed.**

**Please tell me if you like it and if I should continue. :)**

**Ja ! **

**Zee :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two - Reaction.**

Her father paused. He didn't actually know what to think, so he wouldn't give an outward reaction to his little girls' exclamation until he thought it through.

Her mother however wasn't so levelheaded. "WHAT!?"

Innocently, Sakura turned in her fathers arms to look at her mother, who was standing next to Kizashi and a bit behind him, with a wide smile while finding it very hard to contain her happiness, "I want to be a ninja! I will be strong so those bullies would stop hurting me! And Neji-kun offered to train me! And you guys won't have to fight anymore! It's perfect! I ..."

"NO!"

Everything went silent for a few moments. Sakura stayed very still in her fathers arms, her eyes and mouth were wide open from shock. Of course she had every right to be shocked, sure she had heard her mother yell thousands of times before, but not at her. Never at her.

"I will NOT allow my daughter to become a ruthless, heartless killer!"

She went to stand in front of her husband and tried to snatch Sakura away from her father, but he refused seeing the horror in his daughters' eyes and the way she scooted more into his embrace. So Mebuki settled for turning Sakura around to face her crouched form, while still inside her fathers embrace.

"Listen to me young lady! You are NOT going to be a ninja! You are going to be a lady when you grow up and marry one nobleman! You hear me?!"

Sakura didn't know what to do. What could a four-year-old little girl do when her mother started yelling at her -**"Like a crazy banshee, no less!"**-. She wasn't expecting this reaction to her dream!

"Mebuki, calm down!"

"No! I won't let this happen Kizashi!"

Sighing he turned his head to look at Sakura, "Honey, go to your room, get ready for bed and wait for me till I come. Okay?"

Sakura nodded, and dashed to her room, happy to be away from her mother.

She entered her room, closed the door and went to her bathroom to get ready for bed. While brushing her teeth, she heard both her parents talking (screaming) and she tuned them out.

Climbing into bed, she waited for her father.

**...**

When Kizashi entered his daughters room, her found her sitting up in bed, nodding off. Smiling, he approached her and lifted her up and sat down on her bed, with her in his lap. Sakura was now looking up at her dad with wide emerald eyes, so much like his own.

"Mind if I crash in here for the night? Your mother kicked me out of our room."

Sakura giggled at her fathers fake distressed expression. Her father always had a way of easing the tension.

After a few minutes of silence Sakura spoke up, "Outo-san?"

"Hm?"

"Did I make it worse?"

"No, cupcake. Your mother just doesn't like ninjas."

Scrunching her eyebrows, she asked, "Then how did she like you, Outo-san?"

Smiling softly at her innocence, he told her about how he saved her mother on one of the trips she had with her parents, when they were attacked by rouge Shinobi, and he, and his team, happened to be on their way back from a mission. But what he didn't tell her was that Mebuki had both her parents killed on that incident, and that they attacked them because her brother was a ninja that interrupted a mission of theirs, and killed a comrade of theirs. So they were after revenge from her brother, but he has already died on another attack. He felt sorry for her. They had stumbled upon her crying over her parents' body's and one of the rouges was about to kill her when they stepped in. After everything, she was exhausted, and fainted. He took her to the hospital and stayed by her side till she got better.

"Then why does she hate ninjas if you saved her?"

Then she jumped up on the bed and declared, "I want to do that, too! I want to save people and be strong! Oooooh, Tou-san! You were like a prince! And Kaa-san was like a princess!"

Kizashi laughed at the poses Sakura made while talking. He let her rant on tuning her out a bit to focus on the person listening in on the conversation. He hoped Mebuki would come around. He really didn't want to stand in the way of what his daughter wants. Which is what he tried telling his wife hundreds of times, but she won't listen.

"... And I will train with Neji-kun every day! .."

At this Kizashi tuned back into the conversation, frowning he cut her off by saying, "And who exactly is this 'Neji-kun' you've been talking about?"

Somehow, he knew would recognize this person. He heard of that name, but just can't put his finger on it.

"I met him today! He was training! And crying!" She frowned. "His father was killed. Something about 'clan politics' or whatever."

_'A clan kid? And he offered to train her? Must be one of the lower clans then.'_

"He has white eyes!"

"What?"

"He has white eyes! And long brown hair! It's soooo pretty Outo-san! He said he's a Hyuuga!"

Everything seemed to click in Kizashi's head. He smiled. Now, he honestly couldn't say that he saw this coming.

"Sakura."

She paused. Her father never called her by her name. He always used some kind of nickname. So she knew what he was about to say was important.

"I would like to meet your friend. Maybe you could ask him to come to dinner tomorrow?"

Sakura beamed at him. "Of course, Tou-san!"

After that, things settled down a bit, and Sakura curled on her fathers chest and fell asleep. 'Just like a small kitten.' Mused Kizashi.

**...**

The birds were chirping, the morning sun was on her face, and she could smell her fathers breakfast from her room. Smiling, Sakura sat up and stretched in bed before lazily opening her eyes. She was so happy! She was going to tran with Neji today! She should get ready! Her happiness was building up and she was about to squeal and start happy dancing when all of a sudden all the sounds and sensations came to a screeching halt.

She furrowed her brows and scrunched her nose. 'We didn't agree on a time or place to meet!'

_'Nice one, smarty pants!'_

Ignoring her Inners' snickering, she dashed down to the kitchen.

"Tou-san! Tou-san!" She called from the top of the stars as she dashed down the stairs.

'Well,' Kizashi mused 'I was waiting for her to come eat breakfast with me.'

Before he had the chance to put down his newspaper, Sakura stepped on his feet and yanked it down, causing her father to look at her in alarm for the weird behavior.

"Tou-san!"

"Yes, princess?"

"Me and Neji didn't agree on a place or time to meet today! We just said that we would start today! What hour should I go?! Where should I go?! What if he goes somewhere else!? Or to the same place but a different time!?"

Kizashi couldn't contain himself, he had to let his laughter out, but he didn't want to hurt Sakura's feelings. So he settled for raising the newspaper again, to hide his face from his princess till he regained his composure.

All attempts at smothering his laughter went out the window when she yanked the paper down again and cried, "Tou-san! This is serious!"

At her fathers rumbling laugh, she felt hurt. She had a problem! And all he could do was laugh at her! Tears started gathering in her eyes.

When Kizashi noticed his daughters huge green eyes start to water, and were looking up at him with an accusing look, he held in his laughter but couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face as he put the newspaper aside and gathered his little girl in his arms resting her on his lap.

"Don't cry Sakura-chan! I'm sorry! I just couldn't resist! You are so adorable!"

Scrunching her nose she turned her head away from him and said, "I want to be a ninja! I'm supposed to be intimidating! Not 'adorable'!"

"Aaah, but you're still daddy's little princess! And you'll always be cute and adorable to me!" He said, grinning.

Sakura huffed and tried, unsuccessfully, to cover her smile. Kizashi carried her to the kitchen table and began feeding her while giving her the answer to her problem. "How about you go where you saw him yesterday at the same time? Hm? I'm sure he will realize the same problem and come to the same conclusion." He smiled softly at his daughters wide smile while her fed her.

"Great! Then I should be getting ready soon!"

She jumped off the chair and hurried to her room to get ready for the day. Half way up the stairs her father called out to her.

"Yes, Tou-san?"

"What are you planning to do after you come back from training everyday?"

"I'll be training all day everyday with Neji-kun! So I'll come back eat and sleep! Why?"

"Ouch, Sakura-chan! That hurt!"

At her, cute, confused face he elaborated, "You only want Neji-kun to train you? And here I thought that I was gonna train you, too!"

Her whole face lit up, "Really, Tou-san? You want to train me? When? Where?" And she began jumping up and down again.

Laughing, he put his hand on her head to stop her jumping, and crouched down to her level. "How about you two train on your own till noon, then come back here for lunch and I'll help you two train after that?" He asked with a gentle smile.

Looking up at her father with wide eyes, she asked, "Neji-kun, too?"

Keeping the smile on his face he nodded, "Yes, Neji-kun, too."

She started squealing and jumping up and down thanking him while trying to rush to her room.

"Oh, and Sakura-Chan! Don't wear a dress! It's not suitable for training!" He yelled after her.

"I know Tou-san!" She answered, not even minding that her father was underestimating her intelligence. She was just so happy! She got her first friend! And her dad was willing to train them both!

She went to the bathroom and took a shower. While dressing, she remembered something. She hadn't seen her mother! Dressing quickly into black pants and an emerald green T-shirt, she went over to her parents bedroom door and knocked quietly on the door.

Sakura wasn't stupid. She knew her mother hadn't agreed to her becoming a ninja, but she didn't want their relationship to go downhill because of this.

She was brought out of her musings when her mother opened the door and stared at her with puffy red eyes. Her blonde hair was disheveled, her nose red and she was wearing a soft pink robe. No matter how much Sakura saw her mother, she always thought that she was the most beautiful woman she has ever seen.

"Good morning, Okaa-san." She said politly, still wary about her mothers reaction the day before.

She was pleasantly surprised when her mother went on her knees in front of her and hugged Sakura tightly.

"You really want this, don't you?"

"Yes, Kaa-san."

"Well, I guess it can't be helped then." Pulling back she looked straight into her daughters eyes, sternly telling her, "Listen, Sakura. Under no circumstance am I ever going to agree with this." Sakura lowered her head, but her mother hooked a finger under her chin and lifted her head, "However, I will not stand in the way of something you want. Just ... " And here she faltered and her voice cracked. "Just be careful, honey."

Her mother had tears at the corners of her eyes as she hugged her. And she nodded vigorously and said, "I promise! I'll be careful, Kaa-san!"

Satisfied, her mother let go of her and stood up to look at her husband, that was leaning on the wall at the top of the staircase, watching them with a gentle smile.

Her mother scowled at him and said, "If anything, and I mean it Kizashi, anything, happens to my baby, I'm blaming you! And don't you think that you are off the hook! You're still going to sleep on the couch! For a week!"

By now Mebuki was going downstairs, and didn't see the playful wink that Kizashi shot his daughter as he carried her, but she did hear Sakura giggle. So she abruptly turned and pointed a finger in his face.

"And if I ever find out that you snuck in Sakura's room for the night, You'll be doing the dishes for a month! You hear me?!"

It was funny how her father crossed his eyes to look at his wife's finger. Then he smiled and kissed it. When she blushed he grinned like an idiot and said, "Loud and clear, honey. Loud and clear."

She huffed and turned, but not before Kizashi caught the smile that was blooming on her face. He put Sakura down and said, "You should be going now honey, and don't forget to tell your friend that we are expecting him for lunch, training and dinner."

"Hai, Tou-san!" And then she was skipping out of the door.

Smiling, he felt his wife hug him and rest her head on his back. "I'm scared." She whispered.

"Me, too, Mebuki. That's why I want to train her."

She snorted.

"What? I'm still alive, aren't I? That's good enough evidence of how skilled a ninja I am!"

Walking to the kitchen with her husband following after her, she said, "Well, you could start using your 'skills as a ninja' to clean up after your mess."

Rolling his eyes, he complied with her wish (demand).

**...**

"Neji-kun!"

Neji stopped in the middle of his Taijutsu practice, to look at the pink haired girl running towards him. She stopped a few inches away from him, almost entering his personal bubble, and started trying to catch her breath.

Neji frowned. From what Sakura told him, she doesn't live that far away from this clearing, and if she got tired from running that distance she sure has a problem with her stamina. He filed away that information for their training and focused on the girl infont of him as she raised her head, grinning at him.

"Guess what!"

"What?"

She deadpanned at the coldness on his face and in his voice. She's going to have to work on having him drop them around her completely.

Sighing, she told him about what had happened the day before and that morning, in lesser detail, of course. When she finished, she started giggling at the shocked look on his face.

"Your father really said that?"

"Yes!" Exclaimed an excited Sakura.

Her father wanted to train them both. But why? He could just train his daughter without having to worry about him. Why would he do such a thing? Did he find out that he was an orphan and wanted to trick him so he could get his hands on the Byakugan?

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Sakura's finger rubbing the crease between his eyebrows.

"Don't frown Neji-kun! You'll get wrinkles!"

He scowled. "I'm a Hyuuga! We don't get wrinkles!"

Sakura just giggled softly at him. Then she said, "Can we start training now?"

He sighed. It looks like he was going to comply with her fathers wish, if only to see what it is exactly that he wanted. But for now, he has to begin building up Sakura's stamina.

**...**

**A/N: Well, that certainly was long! Anyhow, I've already started on the third chapter, which is going to be about Kizashi and Neji meeting. There is a little twist and a reason why Kizashi wants to meet Neji, it's not random, and it's more than a father wanting to meet his daughters guy-friend.**

**And I apologize for any mistakes. My first language isn't English**

**Tell me what you guys think about this and if you guys have any suggestions I'm all ears**

**Ja! Zee**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three - Like father like son.**

Neji _really_ wanted to face-palm. This girl wasn't kidding when she said she didn't know anything about being a ninja! He's got his work cut out for him. Sigh. Well, it's not like there is anything he could do but help her. Good thing she came this early. She was four and if he trained her the right way she would grow strong.

But he was annoyed, all morning he hadn't been able to do something useful, just a few laps with Sakura, and they stopped before he could break a sweat because Sakura had been _exhausted_.

However, he felt that he doesn't mind it that much. They had spent the whole day teasing and laughing at each other. He really had fun.

It was around noon and they were making their way to her house. He was a bit wary about this meeting. He sighed. _'Might as well just get it over with, then.'_

From a distance, they could smell something cooking. Neji furrowed his brows. The smell couldn't have wafted from inside the house to here.

"Barbecue!", squealed Sakura.

_'Ah. That explains it.'_

She started running. Funny how just now she was exhausted, and at the prospect of _food_, she runs faster than when training. He's gonna have to keep that in mind.

Running to keep up with her, they broke through the bushes to find themselves in a small clearing-like backyard. No fence. No protection. _No anything_.

Neji stopped, but Sakura kept on going till she reached a middle aged, red headed, _huge_ man, and Sakura jumped up. The man put down what he had in his hands when he saw his daughter coming and caught her and swung her around.

After placing his daughter down he listened, amused, to her as she animatedly talked about her training. Until he decided to cut her off.

"That's all well and good, honey. But aren't you forgetting something?"

She stopped and tilted her head to the side in thought. After a few seconds her eyes lit up in realization, and she whirled around to her friend with a cheeky grin on her face, "Ne, Neji-kun! Are you going to stand there all day? Outo-san, this is Neji!" She said as said boy approached.

"Hello, Haruno-san. It's a pleasure to meet you." Neji said while bowing politely.

"No, no. The pleasure is mine to meet a polite young man like yourself." Said Kizashi while smiling gently at him.

Sakura always knew that her dad had a way with talking to people. She _knew_ that if her father had said that Neji was a _boy_, despite him being only five, said boy would go nuts.

Sensing the boy's wariness, he turned to Sakura, "Princess, do you mind getting some barbecue sauce from inside? Your mother left to do some shopping for dinner."

"Hai, Tou-san!" And just like that she dashed into the house. Knowing that it would take her a while to get it, since the bottle is already outside with him, but his daughter is just too stubborn to not search the whole kitchen for it, he knelt down in front of Neji, and said, "You know, you really look like your father had in that age."

Now, _that_ was NOT what he had expected him to say!

"You knew my father?"

Smiling sadly, he said, "Yes. We went to the academy together."

Neji could see the look of anguish on the older male's face.

Many emotions crossed the young boy's face; confusion, anger, hurt. The kid looked like he was about to cry. Not knowing exactly what to do, Kizashi stayed still. Should he hug him, like he does with Sakura? What if he doesn't take well to it?

He was brought out of his panicking at the sound of Sakura's gasp, "Tou-san! What did you do?!"

She ran past him and hugged Neji. The boy in return hugged her back lightly, but held his tears.

Now Kizashi was a reasonable man. He knew that these kids were still too young, but he couldn't help but feel like this wasn't supposed to happen. Not in front of him at least. She's his daughter, for Gods sake! _'No, wait. Better in front of me than behind me!'_

Deciding to cut the disturbing (at least to him, if his wife was here she would be squealing 'kawai~' like a fangirl) scene, he said, "Ouch, Saku-chan! You don't want to hug your old man anymore?!"

Sakura giggled at the pout on her fathers face, but before she could make a move, she found herself with Neji, in her fathers huge arms, and being lifted off the ground for a Kizashi-bear-hug.

**...**

Aftercookingthe food, and settling down to eat, Neji, decided to ask what he wanted to ask for a while now. "Haruno-san?"

"Call me Kizashi. What is it that you want, son?"

Son? That's too close for someone you just met for less than an hour. Sigh._ 'I'll just have to get used to it if I want to stay close to Sakura.'_

"Can you tell me about my father?"

Sakura paused in the middle of taking a bite, having her eyes look from Neji to her father and back again. It was actually really funny, how she looked. Her mouth wide open and her eyes darting from one side of the table to the other. Sigh. He would have to start talking so his little girl could continue eating.

"Alright. Your father was my first friend, we met at the academy, he was really talented; had great chakra control. We were put on the same genin team with your mother. And let me tell you a little secret: Even if everybody in your clan says that their marriage was arranged, I guarantee that your parents married after loving each other for eight years and dating for five. Actually, it was me and Hizashi who tricked the elders into asking for it to be arranged. As you know, your clan has a very strict rule about inbreeding and keeping your blood 'pure'. However, your mother was a foreigner. So _this_ is what _really_ happened..."

And so Kizashi spent most of their time telling Neji about both his parents, and since his mother died in childbirth. Neji was really interested in knowing everything about _both_ of his parents. He honestly hadn't expected that Kizashi-san knew about both his parents. Knowing about his father was a plus, but knowing about his mother, too?! The man was practically an angel to him!

Kizashi observed as the kid drank in every word that left his mouth. He felt sorry for him. But his mind was concerned by the look of mischief that was on his daughter's face when he was talking about all the pranks that they used to play on people around the village as genin, without getting caught, no less! But his suspicions were confirmed when she had a feral grin on her face as he began telling them about the pranks on the Hyuuga elders, and clan head (clan heir at their time). And his worry increased when he saw the glint in Neji's eyes.

He knew that they were doomed though, when they turned simultaneously to look at each other, and Neji smirked at Sakura.

Groaning, he said, "You kids better not get in trouble!"

"So, it's okay to do as we want, as long as we don't get in trouble, Tou-san?" Sakura asked with an innocent look, with Neji nodding at her side.

Kizashi scowled, then sighed, "I'm getting too old for this."

Sakura giggled and Neji's smirk widened. _'Oh, God! Please help me!'_

"Okay, kiddies, enough mischief 'cause my old heart can't take it." He joked. "Now, let's get you two to training!"

They got up and cleaned their eating area as quickly as possible. Then Kizashi had them sitting on the ground in the middle of their backyard. He gave each of them a leaf, and took his own.

"Now I want you to try to make the leaf spin clockwise on your foreheads using chakra." And he demonstrated how.

After trying for half an hour, Sakura turned to her father, who was leaning on a tree reading a book, "Tou-san?"

"Hm?"

"What good is this exercise for?"

"Well, cupcake, it's good for chakra control."

Neji frowned. "What good is _that_?"

"You, especially, Neji have to master this exercise. Your clans fighting style relies heavily on chakra control to be able to block the Tenketsu. If you master these chakra control exercises, you shouldn't have any problems in learning your clans techniques."

Sakura frowned. Neji told her yesterday that she can't learn his clans techniques. "What about me, Tou-san?"

"Well, you could become a Genjutsu specialist or a medical ninja with perfect chakra control. Or you could use it in Ninjutsu, really. Using the exact amount required for a Ninjutsu and not more, makes your chakra reserves last longer. Okay princess?"

"Yeah."

They kept training with their eyes closed for two minutes, before Sakura cracked an eye open, and it had a glint of mischief in it. He shivered. But what she said had Kizashi chocking on his spit, and Neji's leaf split in half.

"Tou-san? If I'm a princess, can Neji-kun be a prince?"

"Eh?"

**...**

Dinner time rolled by soon enough. The kids rushed inside when Kizashi called them. They hadn't even noticed that he'd left!

Going inside they were greeted by an already set table, courtesy of Kizashi, since Mebuki is still 'mad' at him.

Mebuki was just coming out of the kitchen carrying the chopsticks, "Kizashi, I don't care even if you were training them - which I don't believe because you were sitting under a tree reading -, you're _still_ doing the dishes! And no ..."

When she saw Neji she dropped the chopsticks, "Oh my God!" She said softly.

She rushed to him and knelt in front of him, much like she'd done with Sakura that morning. She caressed his face tenderly, like she was afraid he'd break. She had tears in her eyes. "Kizashi."

Her voice was tender and soft. "Is this Hizashi and Hana's baby?"

"Yes, Mebuki. This is Neji."

Then Mebuki hugged him tightly and started crying. Kizashi lifted Sakura who clung to his neck. After a few minutes he decided to break the sad mood. Honestly, his wife was giving the boy a trauma if the look of shock on his face had anything to say about it. "Mebuki, If you keep that up, the food's going to get cold."

"Oh, yes. Of course!" She wiped her tears, got up, picked the chopsticks and went to get new ones.

A few minutes later saw them having dinner while smiling and laughing- mostly at Kizashi with him pouting.

_'So __**this**__ is what a real family feels like.'_ Thought Neji.

**...**

**A/N: Special thanks TheProdigy'sWife14, your last review had me really excited, so I finished the third chapter :P**

**And to all of you who reviewed, thank you so much, it really means a lot to me, and I really hope that you would tell me your suggestions so you would not get bored. I have a lot of ideas running in my head, but I would love to put your ideas in there , too :)**

**I'll try to get the fourth chapter up soon.**

**Sayonara!**

**Zee :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four - Fun day, Cursed day, Blessed day.**

It's been about six months since they started training with Kizashi, and being the ever caring person that he is, he insisted on having a whole day from every week off, namely Friday. No training. Instead they did group activities: picnics, parks, barbecues, going to the lake for a dip, laying around all day reading, and other stuff.

Neji couldn't honestly say that he didn't like it, it's just that he preferred training. But he complied with it because he could feel the effect this has on him. He still remembers the first time Kizashi brought this up.

Flashback

They had just finished training and were having dinner when Kizashi spoke up, "Neji, I would like for you to come here every Friday morning, instead of meeting at the training grounds."

"May I know why, Kizashi-san?"

"Well, from now on, every Friday is going to be our day off."

Seeing Neji about to protest, he continued, "Neji? Do you know what will happen to you if you keep training non-stop? Your body will get exhausted. You won't feel it now, and you won't feel it for a long time, but trust me, you shouldn't push your body. That's why we are going to have one full day of relaxation every week. Okay?"

Neji still didn't look convinced, but he nodded his head nonetheless. But Kizashi wanted to drive home a point so he said, "Even if you think you could handle it, son, sometimes others can't." And the gestured to the chair beside Neji.

When Neji looked at the chair, he found Sakura curled up in a ball and sleeping, on her side, while sucking her thumb. Neji's eyes softened at seeing her, and nodded his head, convinced this time.

"Very good, then. But the only mystery now, is how she does that. I know her frame is small, but to curl up on a chair? Sheesh! What am I going to do with this girl?" He said playfully.

End of flashback

Right now, they were making their way to the park. It was still too cold for Mebuki's liking to go swim in the lake. They picked a bench and sat down.

Things were going normally until Mebuki excused herself and her daughter to go wash their hands. Kizashi bent to Neji's level and said in a low voice, so Sakura couldn't over hear them, "You know Neji, Sakura's birthday is five days from today, we were thinking about throwing her a party after you two come back from training, do you think you could stall her as much as you can for us?"

"Hai."

Neji knew for a fact that they don't need stalling. This was Kizashi's way of telling Neji about Sakura's birthday without hurting his 'Hyuuga pride'.

That thought made Neji smile.

**...**

It was a hard day for Hyuuga Hiashi. His wife was in her last trimester, and she was _really_ grumpy. Her mood swings even scared little Hinata. And he had no choice but to get her, and go out of the compound.

They went for a stroll around the village, his daughter holding his hand.

Hiashi had a lot on his plate lately; The elders were getting grumpier than his wife with their demands. He had to keep an eye on their rival clan, the Uchiha. But most of all he was worried about his nephew. Neji has been acting strange lately. Going out at the crack of dawn, and coming back late at night. Well, not _that_ late, but he was still a boy, and he shouldn't be out without anybody knowing where he is! Whenever asked he would say 'training'.

He was happy that his nephew took his training seriously, but what had him really worried was that the boy never comes back to the compound to eat! And he doesn't look ill either. It's like someone was taking care of the boy. But who ..?

He was cut off from his thinking when Hinata tugged on his hand. Looking down at her to give her his full attention, she said, "Outo-san, i-isn't th-that N-Neji-ni-s-san?"

Looking at the direction she was pointing, he saw his nephew sitting with a group of strangers, probably civilians. Laughing and having fun. He got pissed!

Without even thinking about it, he stormed up to the group of four, intended on Juukening them to oblivion and beyond for taking advantage of his nephew.

He came up behind the red headed man and gripped him by the shoulder, hard.

Kizashi noticed Neji's face go pale when he saw the man who was gripping his shoulder, so he had a good idea who this man was.

Smiling cheekily, he turned to the head of the Hyuuga clan and said, "Why, Hiashi! I didn't know that you were a sentimental man! But I assure you I don't like that kind of contact with other males, but I think that my daughter here, Sakura," and he gestured towards said daughter, "would _love_ to give you a hug!"

"Wow, Neji-kun! He looks like an older you!" Exclaimed Sakura while standing on her seat to get a better view over her fathers head.

It took a moment for Hizashi to realize who this man was. He blinked in surprise, then asked, "Kizashi?"

It was actually comical to Neji to see his uncles reaction. He wanted to laugh out loud.

"In the flesh!" Said Kizashi while grinning.

Hiashis shoulders sagged in relief. "And here I thought you were some civilians trying to take advantage of my nephew." He said this with his eyes narrowed to slits from irritation.

"Haha, not us!"

Hiashi turned to look at Neji, who had slipped on his stoic facade again.

It was hard for Sakura to see it. He stopped doing it around her a long time ago, and it isn't this hardened in front of her parents.

"Neji." Spoke Hiashi quietly. "I would have appreciated it if you had told me about where you have been wandering about these last six weeks. I thought you were training."

Before Neji could answer, Kizashi cut in, "Actually, that's my fault. I didn't tell him that he was supposed to tell you. And he is training, but you know that Friday was our teams resting day, I don't want to break a good old tradition."

"Ah, that's right."

"And who is this?" Kizashi asked gesturing to Hinata.

Hiashi tugged her gently to stand in front of Kizashi, and gave her a meaningful look. She bowed politely and said, "I'm Hyuuga Hinata. It's a p-pleasure to meet you." Her father gave her a nod for her not stuttering much.

"Ah. What a fine young lady! The pleasure is all mine to meet the Hyuuga heiress."

"Sakura, why don't you, Neji and Hinata go play that game you were just talking about?"

Sakura knew that that was her fathers way of getting rid of them so they could have some 'grown up' talk. She didn't mind making friends with new people, but she had to let her father know that she knows what he's doing. So she looked at him with her eyes narrowed to slits, and he laughed sheepishly at he. Then she said, "Hai, Tou-san." And proceeded to drag Neji and Hinata away.

Hiashi sat in front of the couple, "Well, Kizashi. What is it that you want to speak to me about?"

Kizashi's expression turned from playful to serious. He braced his arms on the table, "Hiashi."

The seriousness of his voice caught Hiashi off guard. He was used to Kizashi being playful and a prankster, and although he hadn't seen him since the death of his brother, he didn't think that he would change that much.

"You should know better than to neglect Neji. Hiashi, I've been trying to get the boy to loosen up a bit. He had so much haterd for his clan that it was suffocating him. He really believes that your clan killed his father. I know the truth, Hiashi. Hizashi told me before he went on that mission. It's not my place to tell him about what really happened, but I really think that you should. It will have him seeing his father as the hero he really was, instead of the victim that he isn't. If you don't set things straight with him now, Hiashi, he is going to _despise_ the clan. Do it while you still can. You don't know what he'll do in the future if this hatred continues."

Hiashi stared. He actually hadn't thought about this. How could he be so blind? 360 degree sight my ass! He can't even see what his nephew is going through!

He sighed. But before he could say anything, Mebuki cut him off, and spoke for the first time since he came, "There is another thing."

"Mebuki." Kizashi warned.

She shot him a glare that would freeze hell over.

"Let her talk Kizashi. After all, a woman sees in children what most men can't."

Her glare turned to a smug look. Then she soberd up and faced Hiashi.

"Don't seal him."

"_Excuse_ me?"

"He might not show it, but I know for a fact that he's afraid of that cursed mark."

When Hiashi didn't say anything, she continued, "Think about it Hiashi. If you seal him he will definitely loose all trust in his clan, and it's not going to matter how many talks you have with him, he's not going to stop hating his clan just because of that mark."

"You know that it's not that simple."

"Yes, it is."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow at her in the I'm-a-Hyuuga-so-I'm-too-good-to-talk language. So she elaborated, "I know that you can't tell them what we just told you now. But there are other reasons as to not seal Neji-chan."

Ignoring the nickname he asked, "And what are those, Mebuki?"

"Well, we know that you were never okay with having a daughter as heiress. The job needs a lot of training. Your daughter is too fragile for the job. We both know it and don't deny it. It's actually not that small of a secret around the village. And _I'm_**positive** that you don't want to push your daughter to the extent that you were pushed to as a kid. And your second child is a girl too. So there isn't much difference between her and your first daughter."

"Were are you going with this?" He asked, aggravated at the fact that this woman could read him like an open book when even his wife sometimes has difficulty doing it.

"You could tell the elders that you think that the girls will be too fragile to take up the position as head of the clan, so you want to keep Neji-chan unsealed, and train him in case they really weren't able to take up the position. That way you can keep both of your daughters and Neji-chan unsealed, and you keep your nephew close to you."

Hiashi smirked. This woman has really been thinking hard about this. She is even bribing him with prospect of having his second daughter unsealed. But there is one problem ...

"That's a really good reasoning. But there is only one problem with this. Although this will probably satisfy the elders for some years, what do you think will happen if Neji doesn't meet the elders expectations? _Then_ what? And even when one of them becomes clan head, the other two will be sealed. I don't think that you thought this through Mebuki."

As much as Hiashi hoped that these three wouldn't get sealed, he can't live in a fairytale and expect everything to go that way because he just wants it to. But he had hope when he saw the look of confidence on Mebuki's face.

"Oh, don't you worry. Unlike _some_body I know," insert glare at Kizashi, "I never do a half assed job. Neji _will_ meet their expectations, Kizashi told me about Neji-chan's training, and from what I got, he is doing _very_ well."

They both turned to Kizashi, "It's true Hiashi. Neji is already able to see the Tenketsu is even Sakura's chakra network. And I'll have you know that her chakra network isn't fully developed yet. That's a feat not many Hyuuga can do. Not even you and your brother were able to do that at his age, Heck, you guys couldn't do it until you became _Genin_!"

Hiashi was pulled out of his shocked state when Mebuki smacked Kizashi at the back of his head, "No swearing!"

"But I didn't really mean to, _sugar_!" Replied Kizashi with a cheeky grin while rubbing his abused head.

She huffed and muttered something about 'stupid men and their sweet-talking themselves out of trouble.' Turning to Hiashi, who was trying, and failing miserably, to hide his amusement, she said, "So we agree that Neji-chan is a prodigy, so he will more likely than not be the head of the clan. And we all know that Hinata won't be sealed because she is the original heiress, and by the time anybody gets a word about your second daughter, Neji would become head and deny them their request. You have to think about this well Hiashi, you don't want Neji to hate his cousins, it's better if he views them as sisters rather than enemies." She said seriously.

"Damn! You have really out done yourself, honey!"

Mebuki knocked her fist against her husbands head again, "What have I told you about swearing!"

Hizashi could do nothing but shake his head in exasperation.

**...**

"So! Lets play tag! Who's it?" Asked an oblivious Sakura after they stopped a far distance from the grownups.

"Humph. I'm not playing with _her_." Said Neji arrogantly.

"Neji-ni-san.." Said Hinata softly.

**'What's his problem? We were fine just now!'**

'Don't know Inner, but I intend to find out!'

Putting her hands on her hips, she asked sassily, "And why not?"

"Because she's _his_ daughter. If it wasn't for her, my dad-" He didn't get to finish his sentence since Sakura smacked him upside the head when she saw the tears begin to gather in Hinata's eyes.

**'You go Outer!'** Cheered Inner.

"You know better than to blame her! She didn't do anything!"

"I don't care! I don't want to play with her! Let's go!" And he grabbed Sakura's hand and tried to drag her away, but Sakura was nothing if not stubborn, she dug her heals in the ground to stop him, "Neji! That's rude! I'm telling Okaa-san!"

This had Neji red from anger. "Fine! You want to play with her? Go! She stole my dad and now she's stealing you, too! I should have expected that!"

By now Neji was huffing for air and shaking from anger. He expected Sakura to start yelling at him and then turn around and leave him. So he kept his head down with tears at the corners of his eyes ready to spill when she started yelling.

But she never did. Instead he heard soft footsteps till he saw Sakura's shoes. He looked up then to see her smiling softly, "So, all of this is because your jealous and afraid to loose me?" She asked.

Being the honest kid that he was, he nodded. He stopped all movement when he saw the mischievous look on her face. The next thing he knew was that Sakura was pinching his cheeks and saying ridiculous stuff, like, "So cute, Neji-chan!"

"Sakuwa, wet gow!"

"So adorable, aren't you Neji-chan!?"

"Sakuwa! I meeewn ieet!"

"But you're so-" She stopped when she heard some giggling to her left. It was Hinata. She was giggling behind her fisted hand. Sakura let go of Neji's cheeks, and grabbed his arm to drag him to his cousin.

"Now, Neji-_kun_. Say your sorry!"

Neji turned his face in defiance. While Hinata stuttered, "H-he d-doesn't h-have to, S-sakura-san."

Sakura looked at her like she grew another head. "Of course he has to! He was being unnecessarily _rude_!" Turning to Neji she spoke in a voice that brooked no room for arguments, "Nejiiiii." He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "**_NOW!_**" She thundered.

Sighing, and resigning to his fate, he looked Hinata in the eye and said, "I apologize, Hinata-sama."

Hinata looked down in sadness. She had told him hundreds of times not to call her that!

"What's wrong Hinata?"

She jumped up at Sakura's voice to have a face full of emerald green. Sakura was too close. "N-nothing, S-sakura-san!" She squeaked.

"You sure are the shy type." Commented Sakura.

"You're one to talk." Rebuked Neji.

"Oh, really, now? Just wait! I'll make her as confident as I became after we met! Just wait! Honestly, it's your fault from the beginning! If you hadn't left her alone she would have grown a backbone because you would be her brother, but nooooo! ..."

Neji and Hinata stood to the side watching the pinkette rant. Hinata trying to smother her giggles to no avail, and Neji shaking his head and sighing next to her.

"And YOU!" She pointed a finger at Hinata, "Tell us what's annoying you, and if it's Neji I'll beat him to a bloody pulp!"

**'Cha! Finally you're starting to be more like me!'**

'Oh, no! I don't want to become like you!' She shuddered.

Hinata looked at her and said, "I-it's nothing, r-really. I just told N-neji-nii-san n-not to c-call me Hinata-s-sama, but he won't l-listen."

Looking back and forth between the two of them. Hinata was too shy to look at her cousin, and Neji was too stubborn to give an explanation. So she would take things into her own hands.

"Well I've got a solution!"

Both heads turned to her.

"Whenever Neji-kun calls you 'Hinata-sama', he becomes 'it' in tag!"

Neji scoffed. "Yeah, like that will work. I can simply sit around and let you run around without trying to tag you."

Hinata gave Sakura a small mischievous smile and said, "I-if you d-don't p-play with us, w-we'll put neon-green hair dye in all your shampoo and c-conditioner bottles."

Neji's mouth dropped open in shock and horror at her. She was supposed to be shy! But then again, he does remember what they used to do to the grownups as children, back when he still considered her as a sister. He really missed those days. Maybe what Sakura said was right. If he had stayed close to Hinata, maybe her personality would have been stronger. Well, no time like the present. Sakura _is_ really smart after all.

That last thought vanished to thin air as he looked at Sakura's fallen form on the ground, rolling around, clutching her stomach from laughter. Honestly, were is her decency? And to boot, Hinata has resorted to stuffing her fisted hand into her mouth to try to stop her laughter. Great. Now he has two girls to deal with.

Sakura raised her hand and grabbed Neji's clothing and dragged herself into a standing position. Wiping her eyes and leaning all of her weight on him she said, "Whew! Honestly, Neji-kun! You should've seen your face! Good one Hinata-chan!"

"T-the color suits y-you, n-nii-san."

The girls high-fived each other and Neji groaned, "You can't be serious, Hinata-sama!"

Uh-oh.

Neji could hear the girls' high-pitched-happy-laughter even after they disappeared from next to him. He smirked.

_'Let the games begin!'_

**...**

"You know Hiashi, if everything else doesn't go as planned, you could always adopt Neji after establishing a good relationship with- Sakura what are you doing?"

"We're hiding, kaa-san! Shhhhh!"

"Young lady get away from-"

"It's okay Mebuki. I really think that this is my daughters idea. Isn't it Hinata?"

"He he. H-hai, Tou-san." She blushed

Sakura and Hinata were sitting on Hiashi's lap, whispering to each other and trying to subtly get a peak over Hiashi's shoulder without Neji seeing them, but it was really hard for Sakura since her hair color will give her away, especially against the colorlessness of Hiashi's clothes.

Neji came up huffing, and the girls ducked their heads under the table. "Have you seen them?" He asked.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow at his nephew and asked,"By 'them' do you mean these?" He said as he yanked both girls up by their ankles. They were upside down and silent in astonishment. He just gave us away! Neji grinned and poked both of them, " Tag!"

Sakura huffed angrily. "Honestly! Do Hyuuga men _have_ to be like that? Remind me to _never_ trust you Mister!" And she turned her head to the side.

"Oh? And why's that, pinky?"

"First of all, don't call me pinky! And second, we came for your protection and you gave us out! You broke our trust! I will _never_ come to you for help! Even if I'm _dying_! ..."

_'Honestly,' _thought Hiashi_ 'How can a person keep on talking while they're upside down? Both of them are turning blue but she won't stop! And did she really tell(demand) me to wear pink next time so she could blend in?'_

"Alright, alright. I apologize, Sakura-san. Happy now?"

"Humph" was here reply as her father came to her rescue, and Hiashi righted his daughter in his arms.

After another hour of the grownups' talking and Neji watching as the girls fell asleep, Hiashi stood up.

"Well then, I guess we should take our leave. Neji, I think you should come back with us. I need to speak with you."

He nodded at Kizashi and Mebuki, and said, "Thank you both for taking care of him."

Neji tensed. He just _knew_ that his uncle was going to give a scathing remark and banish him from coming again.

Sensing his nephews unease, he continued, "I will make sure that he keeps up his activities with you, and I hope you would give me a chance to train them sometime." And he sent a wink at Sakura, who was barely awake, "Humph. So he could kill us? No way are we going _there_." And she buried her head in her fathers neck, and promptly fell asleep.

Looking on amused, Hiashi continued, "I thank you for opening my eyes to a lot of things I wasn't aware of. I hope we meet soon. Goodnight."

He turned around, carrying his daughter, and Neji trailing behind him.

"Goodnight." Said Mebuki, as she gathered everything and went home with her family, feeling accomplished for the day.

**...**

"Neji."

"Yes, uncle?"

"Go get changed and come to my study. I want to talk to you."

"Hai."

Doing as he was told Neji changed his clothes while not really focused. His mind was a jumble of thoughts. What could he want? Did he do anything wrong? Was it something Kizashi-san said?

He was now at the door to his uncles study. Knocking twice he entered after hearing his uncles permission.

His uncle was sitting behind his desk as usual. He looked up to look at Neji when he entered.

"I hope you don't always wear your clothes the wrong way, Neji. That would give people the wrong impression about our clan." He said in amusement.

Neji looked down at his sleeping clothes to find that he had his shirt on the wrong way.

After righting his clothes, Neji noticed that his uncle had moved to sit in front of Neji, who was kneeling down on the floor.

"Neji, I know that I am not the best at familial gestures, and I'm not the best person to talk about things that you hold close to your heart. So I'm going to be honest with you and tell you the truth. Neji, I don't want you to grow hating your clan, or even worse, hating me and my daughters because I didn't talk to you sooner..."

And so, they spent the next hour or so talking. Hiashi explained what really happened on that night, and how Neji's father was a hero, and that Hiashi was grateful for his brothers sacrifice. Neji asked a lot of questions, which Hiashi patiently answered and explained to his nephew.

After they established a new relationship, Neji bid his uncle a goodnight, and got up to leave. He had to think everything over, and see were he stood now. But before he could get out of the door his uncle spoke up, "Neji? What are you giving Sakura-san at her birthday in five days?"

"I was thinking about giving her my mothers necklace." Then he added hastily, "If that's okay with you."

"You know what this means, Neji?"

"Yes."

"Okay, then. You have my permission."

**...**

"Okay, that's enough. Let's head to your house."

It's been five days since the park incident. It was Sakura's birthday today. Neji sighed as he remembered his talk with Kizashi-san the day before.

The man was about to go nuts when he told him about the necklace. Apparently, he knew what it ment.

Courtship.

It meant that Neji was claiming Sakura as his future wife.

But Kizashi had calmed down when Neji told him that he would explain it to Sakura before she accepts it.

The necklace has its pros though. It has a seal in it were both of them should put some of their chakra into it. If one of them is hurt, their chakra signature flares, if they die, it grows at an alarming rate and then pops in the air in front of the other person. And it gives the ability to Shunshin into each others locations, wherever they are, in case they were lost or captured in battle.

But what really makes your mind scream _'How?'_ Is the fact that even though the female wears the necklace, the male senses these things, too. And the female doesn't really have to be wearing the necklace to feel these things. As long as they put a small amount of their chakra into it every year, it works its magic regardless.

Arriving at the backyard, They heard a 'Happy birthday!'

Sakura's eyes lit up and she ran to them. Apparently Hiashi and Hinata have been invited.

The party went on with games and cake. Then came the gifts.

Kizashi got her a dress saying that she was growing and he still wanted to see her as daddy's little girl and not a tomboy. Which Mebuki slapped him upside the head for. Mebuki got her a pair of gloves with pouches and kunai holsters. Hiashi got her a full stash of kunai, senbon and a new tanto. Hinata got her a big white teddy bear, which Sakura hugged along with Hinata.

Then they all went inside to give them some privacy, Mebuki dragging a struggling Kizashi who had a cloth in his mouth, with Hinata giggling. She really liked Sakura, and hoped for the best for her.

Neji sat down back ways on the bench in the backyard, and Sakura sat next to him, he started to explain everything about the necklace, how his mother _always_ wore it, what it means and what it does.

"So if you accept what I just told you, I would really like to give it to you."

Sakura stared at the necklace with tears in her eyes. It was in the shape of a tear drop, it was dark blue and the claps on the top, that holds it to the chain, is silver, just like the chain itself, which was so delicate she thought she might break it if she did not take care of it.

"Of course I accept!" And she hugged him. Neji brought his hands around her and clasped the necklace around her neck, then he hugged her tightly, and they stayed like that for a while.

Then he backed away, smirked at her and said, "Don't worry, the chain is enforced with chakra, so it won't break."

She smiled at him and held it in the palm of her hand. Neji placed his hand over hers and they both sent their chakra into the necklace. When he removed his hand the necklace was a shiny turquoise color.

**...**

"Kizashi, stop sulking!"

"Honestly, Kizashi, it's like you don't approve of my nephew."

"It's not like that! It's just that my little baby girl is still too young to get marriage proposals this early!"

"Oh grow up, Kizashi! They are just so kawai! Right, Hinata-chan?" Said girl was sitting in front of Mebuki, while the woman made two pony tails on top of Hinata's head. Hinata nodded her head and giggled as Kizashi sulked.

At least he knows that his daughter is in good hands.

**...**

**A/N: So, Hiashi makes an appearance, sorry that I made him so different from the original, but I always felt like Hiashi was a good person at heart and he really love Neji as a son.**

**Another thing, don't get used to this. You're just lucky that I'm on my winter break and have a lot of free time :P**

**Tell me your thoughts and suggestions.**

**Ta ta! **

**Zee :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five - Getting a 'nii-san'.**

Crying.

That's the only thing that ten year old Uchiha Itachi could focus on right now. He had come to this particular training ground so he could escape his cousin Shisui. That didn't work since his cousin is going to find him in the next five to fifteen minutes.

Sighing, he approached the crying voice. He really didn't have anything better to do. He couldn't focus on training with someone crying like that. And the voice was really heart-breaking. And being the soft hearted pacifist that he is, he just had to make the person feel better.

The sound was coming from the clearing next to this one. When he arrived he found a pink-haired little girl on the ground hugging her knees and crying her heart out. At first he thought that she was hurt, but a brief look-over proved his suspicions wrong.

What could have a little girl crying so hard? She looked to be about Sasuke's age. He approached her and was surprised when she shot up and looked at him with bright red-rimmed emerald stunning eyes, with excitement. The first word that his mind came up with was 'colorful'. Pink hair, green eyes and her face seemed to radiate a whole rainbow of colors when she was excited.

**'He's cute. Maybe even cuter than Neji-kun.'** Said Inner as she held up two mental dolls, one of Neji and the other of Itachi, and compared them to see who was cuter. She dropped the Itachi doll and started hugging the Neji doll. **'Naah. Neji-kun is ****_much_**** cuter.'**

'Neejiii!' Sakura wailed mentally.

He apparently wasn't who she was expecting, so she deflated and started crying harder

He put his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. She lifted her head to look at him, while bringing a fisted hand to rub at her eyes.

"What's your name, little one?"

"Haruno Sakura. *sniff*"

"Ah, Sakura-san. I'm Uchiha Itachi."

Silence.

Then *sniff* *sniff* *shaky intake of breath signaling another round of crying*

But Itachi cut her off before she could start.

"Why are you crying, Sakura-san? And what are you doing out here alone?"

"I'm waiting for Neji-kun. So we could train," *sniff* *sniff*, "But he's late, and he's never late!" *sniff* "He said that Hyuugas are never late!" *sniff*

He was surprised at hearing that she was waiting for the new Hyuuga heir. The announcement was shocking to everyone, even the kid himself when it was announced at his birthday a few months ago. He didn't attend, because he was away on a mission, being Chunin and all. But his mother had told him about it.

"Well, Sakura-san, how old is Neji-san?"

"He's six. Why?"

Itachi smiled gently at her. She was so innocent that it stirred something in his heart.

"Today is the first day of the academy, and I bet that Neji-san is attending."

"But why didn't he tell me?"

But Itachi's mind was somewhere else.

"Sakura-san."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you keep your bangs down?"

She looked at him with eyes filled with horror. Now he was going to make fun of her too. She's been crying and now it's going to get worse.

**'Oh, no you don't! Cute or not I'm going to pummel him if he says anything about our ****_lovely_**** forehead!' **Said Inner as she started punching a tied up Itachi doll.

**'And you! You're such a crybaby Outer!'**

Her eyes filled with salty liquid and she lowered them as she answered him, "Because my forehead is too big."

She said it in such a broken voice that it had Itachi's heart break for her.

He reached to his wrist and undid the red scarf that he always ties on his wrist. She was startled when she felt Itachi raise her bangs and tie a red cloth to hold her bangs up, with a bow at the top.

"You shouldn't hide your forehead, Sakura-san. That way it is more noticeable. If you hide something people are going to tease you about it, but if you show them that it doesn't bother you, they won't tease you about it. Unless it does bother you?"

She casted her eyes downwards. That was as much of an answer as if she yelled it in his face. He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted it. That's when he noticed the necklace. _'So she is promised to the Hyuuga clan. They made a good choice.' _He thought.

Looking back at her beautiful eyes, that were more visible without her bangs, he said, "You know, Sakura-san, a big forehead indicates a big mind."

**'Awww, I'm so sorry Ita-chan! I didn't mean it.'** Said Inner as she hugged the Itachi doll.

_'You're hopeless.'_ Said Sakura with her eyes narrowed to slits.

Ignoring her Inner asked, **'Hey, Outer. What did Neji-kun say about a person that makes you feel better?'**

She contemplated this for a few seconds and then smiled brightly at him when she decided that he was saying the truth. "Thank you, nii-san."

"Nii-san?"

"Mmhmm. Neji-kun always makes Hinata-chan and Hanabi-chan feel better. He says that it's what a Nii-san does. So your my Nii-san. Right?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

He nodded with a slight smile. She was so innocent that he wanted to protect it with everything he has. She will have a great Will of Fire someday, and he was positive of that.

He couldn't help but think that the girl seemed too shy, but he somehow sensed that she has a whole other personality after she gets over her shyness. He would ...

"Hey baby cousin! Thought you could hide from Shisui the great! Well, think again cousin! Because... Hey, who's the pretty lady?"

Aaah, Shisui. His cousin was the weirdest Uchiha alive. He is the only Uchiha that knows how to have fun. The only Uchiha to smile, laugh, be loud and inviting. Maybe his cousin could get Sakura out of her shell.

"Shisui, this is Sakura."

**...**

ShitShitShitShit!

Sakura's going to kill him! She had slept at the dinner table (chair) last night (again) and Neji had told him that he would start attending the academy today and that he wasn't going to be able to be there for their morning practice.

He was so groggy this morning because of another sleepover in the living room (a.k.a : Mebuki kicked him out - again - and he was forced to sleep on the couch - again -) that he forgot to tell Sakura.

He picked up his pace when he imagined that his little girl was crying her little heart out. That's why he was so surprised when he neared and heard his angels loud laughter.

Shisui was flickering from one place to another in the clearing and Sakura was jumping excitedly at how 'cool' that was. Itachi just looked on amused. His cousin had managed to get her from a sobbing mess to a laughing happy child. But what had him content was that she was holding his hand, just like Sasuke did. He always wanted a little sister.

He felt another presence at the edge of the field, but ignored it since there was no hostility in the persons chakra. In fact it seemed soft. So he guessed it was a relative of the young girl.

"Teach me! Teach me!"

Shisui stopped abruptly and stared at her. Then his expression turned sheepish. "I can't do that, Sakura-chan. I don't think you are ready for this jutsu. You're still too young."

She pouted, then stubbornly stated, "Yes I am! I'm perfectly capable of learning it! Right, Tou-san?" Sakura asked as she turned to her fathers direction.

Kizashi stepped out from behind the tree he was using as a shield. He could never hide from her. He opened his arms for Sakura to come to him. She did not disappoint and ran at him. He picked her up with practiced ease and said, "I think you should try showing her, Shisui-san. You will be pleasantly surprised." Said Kizashi with a kind smile.

Shisui and Itachi just stared at him.

"Oh, I apologize. I'm Haruno Kizashi, Sakura's father."

Itachi, being the polite heir that he is, said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kizashi-san. I'm Uchiha Itachi, and this is my cousin Uchiha Shisui."

Before any of them could continue, Shisui snatched Sakura away and said, "You two could finish chitchating, meanwhile, I will be teaching my new student how to body-flicker!"

"Yaaaay! Wait! Tou-san, why did you come here?"

"Ah, well, pumpkin. Neji told me to tell you that he starts attending the academy today and that he wouldn't be able to come today. Ehe ehe."

"WHAT!? AND YOU TELL ME THIS _NOW_?!"

"Ehehe, sorry, kiddo. I was a bit grumpy this morning, you know? And it just slipped my mind." He said while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

He began to take small steps backwards when she sent him a murderous glare over Shisui's shoulder.

"Now, now. We don't want you exhausting yourself before you start training, do we?"

"Nope! Lets start!" It was amazing how she switched moods.

Kizashi and Itachi each sat at the base of their respective trees, making small talk and commenting on Sakura's training. Itachi and Shisui were both pleasantly surprised when Sakura got the hang of the normal substitution jutsu so quick.

And that's how Neji found them when he entered the clearing. Shisui was explaining to Sakura that the body flicker technique is similar to the substitution jutsu, but you remove the hand seals, there is no smoke and you substitute with dust.

Sakura was so focused that she didn't notice when Neji came. So he cleared his throat to get her attention. She turned her head at him and smiled the brightest smile Itachi has ever seen.

"Neji-kun!"

And she ran to him, hugged him and started talking a mile a minute.

"Sakura." Neji cut her off.

"Yes?"

"I like your hair better this way."

She blushed and stammered out, "W-well, I-itachi-nii-san d-did it." Then she smiled shyly at him.

He raised an eyebrow at his future girlfriend calling an Uchiha 'Nii-san'. And of course Sakura just understood what he meant by the facial expression and told him the exact reason that she told Itachi and began dragging him.

He smiled at her as she led him to where Shisui had moved beside his cousin.

Then the shy and innocent demeanor evaporated.

"Neeeejiii."

The warning under tone and the lack of suffix had him straightening and listening closely to what she had to say. If he didn't, she would smack him upside the head, and he would like his head intact, _thankyouverymuch_.

"I know that the Uchiha clan and Hyuuga clan are rivals, but you will be nice to Shisui-sensei and Itachi-nii-san, right?

She batted her eyelashes at him.

Shisui was wiping a tear from his eye at being called 'sensei'.

He sighed in exasperation

"Hello, Itachi-san, Shisui-san. Nice to meet you."

Shisui made a comment about Neji being 'whipped' and got an elbow in his ribs courtesy of Itachi for his rudeness.

Kizashi smiled as the kids interacted with each other, and made plans to train with each other. He felt pride swell in his chest at what his daughter had just accomplished. Even the Hokage had tried, and failed, to put Hyuuga and Uchiha in the same room and even he couldn't bring them to stay civil towards one another. And he smiled at the plans of training while Neji was busy at the academy.

_'Maybe this generation will make a difference. I should keep an eye on them to make sure they stay friends till the grow up.'_

_..._

**A/N: I received some complaints about them being engaged so early. You guys, they're not actually engaged, it's just a tradition in the Hyuuga clan to claim a woman as his. It's like a promise that they will ****_date_**** in the future. And the marriage proposal part was just Kizashi being melodramatic.**

**And come on Sakura Hatsu, you totally predicted this chapter. *pouts***

**Anyways, hope you enjoy.**

**Take care,**

**Zee :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six - Like family.**

Sasuke didn't like this one bit. First his Nii-san comes back without his red scarf, and when their mother asked he just smiled. _Then_ Shisui came in talking about somebody calling Itachi 'Nii-san' and how cute they were. _Then_ his _mother_ wanted to meet said person.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He will get to the bottom of it. His brother and cousin have been meeting this person for a few days, everyday. And he was sick of it.

Why doesn't his brother spend time with him, Sasuke, instead of going to see someone 'cute'. Poor little Sasuke's heart can't take the sadness. And he is coping in the way every Uchiha does. Anger.

That's why he ran at top speed to catch his brother before he could head out, latched onto his legs, and didn't let go.

"Sasuke."

"I'm coming with you!"

Itachi and Shisui exchanged glances. Then Itachi started to talk, "Well .."

"No! You are not telling me no! I'm coming! You spend too much time with the 'cute' person and not with me!"

By now Sasuke was crying and hitting Itachi's legs with his fists. Yes, his brother was throwing a tantrum.

Then Mikoto poked her head out of the kitchen and said, "Sasuke-chan! Listen to what your brother has to say!"

Sasuke looked up at his brother with big black teary eyes and waited. He was back to hugging Itachi's legs again and was resting his chin on Itachi's thigh, exactly where he was ticklish.

Itachi poked Sasuke on the forehead with two fingers, that made the younger Uchiha step back and let go of his brother in favor of rubbing his abused forehead.

"Nii-saaan!" Whined Sasuke.

"Sasuke. I was just telling Okaa-san that I will be taking you to the park today. There is somebody I want you to meet."

But Sasuke didn't hear the last of his brothers sentence because he was well on his way to getting his shoes on before anybody could register what was happening.

Itachi chuckled at his brothers behavior while Shisui began teasing Sasuke. Which the later promptly ignored. He was just too happy that he was going to spend the day with his Nii-san!

Arriving at the park, Itachi approached Sakura, who was sitting on a bench that was as far away from the playground as she could sit while still being _in_ the park. He hoped that no bullies approached her while she was waiting. It was heart breaking when she told him and Shisui about the bullies. Shisui even cried! Although he would never admit it to anyone.

She had her head bent down and she was swinging her legs slowly. Itachi crouched in front of her. When she lifted her head and saw him, she launched herself in his arms. And just like Itachi has seen her father do, he caught her while she hugged him with all her strength, and lifted her up with him while he stood.

Itachi. Was. Hugging. AND. Carrying. Somebody. Else. Sasuke was restraining his self from cutting the person to bits and pieces. And Shisui was snickering behind his hand at what was happening. Should he hold Sasuke?

"Itachi-Nii-san!"

"THAT'S _IT_!"

Before Itachi could react Shisui had grabbed Sasuke in a headlock. Sakura looked on, confused.

_'What's wrong with him?'_

**"Don't know, don't care. He's cute!"**

_'Inner!'_

**"What? Can't a girl check out some guys?"** Asked Inner as she placed a new doll next to her ever growing collection.

By now Sakura had wriggled her way down from Itachi's arms and was standing in front of Shisui and the new kid that still had his eyes closed from the 'pain' his cousin was causing him.

"Who are you? And what's wrong?"

"That's _my_ Nii-san! Go to your _own_ Nii-san!" Said Sasuke without opening his eyes.

Itachi looked on worriedly. Sakura had enough bullying and she didn't need Sasuke to bring her self esteem down more than it already is.

"But, I don't have a real Nii-san." Said Sakura in a sad voice. She had tears in her eyes. She must have done something very wrong to have this kid hate her so much without even knowing him.

Sasuke opened his eyes when he heard how hurt her voice was. He stared. And stared. And stared some more. The girl had pink hair. In her pink hair was his brothers red scarf that he never took off before the other day. Her eyes were the prettiest shade of green he had ever seen.

_'Cute.'_ He thought.

That's when it dawned on him. This was the cute person that his brother and cousin have been spending time with for the past few days. He should hate her, but he couldn't bring his self to do that after seeing the hurt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset." Said Sakura with the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

She was going to cry! At the realization, Sasuke's eyes widened. But befor he could say anything, someone cut him off.

"Tell her your sorry, teme! She didn't do anything!"

They all looked to the left to find a blond boy, with blue eyes, wearing orange.

Sakura stared as Inner added another doll to her collection.

Itachi and Shisui knew the boy. He was Naruto. A.k.a, the Kyuubi's jinchuriki. Fugaku had told them about him, and said that it was okay to interact with him and if they saw anybody harm the kid to stand up for him.

Itachi remembers that talk clearly although he had been young at that time. He was surprised when his father told them that. The Uchiha weren't known for their acts of kindness. No, they ran the police force, they had to be tough. So it stayed as a mystery to them until Itachi came across a photo in the Uchiha manor that had a grown version of the kid, standing next to his father on his parents' wedding. The blonde man was his fathers best man in the wedding. Seeing as he was not around anymore he concluded that this guy was Naruto's father, and later on he discovered that the guy was the fourth Hokage.

Naruto was so lucky to be the son of Namekaze Minato, but Itachi doubted that he knew. He signaled Shisui to let the kids interact with each other. Sakura and Sasuke hadn't been warned to stay away from the kid by their parents. Surely Kizashi-san must've known the truth to not warn his daughter like the rest of the citizens in Konoha. And if he didn't want his daughter to go near the kid, Itachi would talk him out of it. He knew that Kizashi-san was a reasonable man. Though he doubted that he will disagree with Itachi's decision.

"I know, dobe! I was about to do just that!" Yelled Sasuke as soon as Shisui let go of him.

"Well! What are you waiting for!" Naruto yelled back.

"It's none of your business, dobe!"

"Yes, it is, teme!"

"Dobe!"

"Teme!"

"DOBE!"

"TEME!"

Soft laughter cut through the screaming contest, and put an end to Itachi and Shisui's entertainment.

All eyes turned to her. She blushed a bit then asked the blonde boy, "Who are you?"

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I'm going to be Hokage one day!"

Sakura looked at him with big eyes. "Really?"

"Yup!"

"As if a dobe like you could become Hokage." Muttered Sasuke from the side.

"Sasuke, can't you be nice like Sakura-chan?" Teased Shisui.

Sasuke just turned his head in defiance and said, "But he _is_ a dobe."

"What did you just say, you teme!"

"I said ..."

They were both cut off by Sakura, who poked Sasuke and said, "Tag! You're it!" Then she grabbed Naruto's wrist and started running away. After a few steps Naruto caught on and they started running together to get away from a stunned Sasuke.

"Hey!" Yelled Sasuke, and he ran after them.

Itachi and Shisui sat at the bench watching the kids play together. The bonds were forming in front of his very own eyes, and he honestly couldn't say that he saw anything more heart whelming than that. He knew those three would change a lot of things.

Unknown to any of them, a lone brown eye was watching them more intently, with dark plans forming in mind.

**...**

Itachi decided to take Naruto with them to the Haruno household. He already informed them about Sasuke, and he honestly wanted to see what they would say about Naruto.

And although the kid had protested and said he didn't want to go, Sakura and Sasuke forced him. The pleading look on Naruto's face was really heart breaking. Do the villagers really treat him that bad that he doesn't want to meet any grownups? Itachi has his guesses. The boy could have made friends in the past, and then have them taken away once grownups arrived. Or worse.

He sighed. He would just have to continue to see what would happen.

**...**

Kizashi looked surprised when Sakura jumped in his arms and introduced her new friends. He knew that she would meet Itachi's little brother, but was surprised by the presence of Naruto.

He sent his wife a warning look. Her thoughts were generally the complete opposite of his and he didn't want to hurt the son of the fourth Hokage and one of his close friends. But to his surprise, she smiled at him reassuringly and he gave her a smile of gratitude in return.

He crouched and introduced himself to both boys. Sasuke replied by politely, if a bit snobbishly, introducing himself.

And Naruto gave the same loud introduction that he had given Sakura. Kizashi looked slightly surprised at the boys high ambitions. Then he smiled gently and told him, "That's a really big dream, Naruto-kun. Do you think you would be able to achieve it alone?"

Naruto was stunned for a bit because he wasn't shunned or made fun of by the grown man. Instead, he had talked to him just like the old man Hokage talked to him.

Sakura knew that tone. Her father was testing them. But there was no way Sasuke or Naruto would get it, and she can't help them because her father had sent her a warning glace. She looked at Neji who she had jumped to next, when her father started introducing his self. Neji squeezed her hand reassuringly. He had told her that he doesn't like having a lot of Uchiha's around her, or him for that matter. But she gave him the puppy dog eyes and he gave up instantly.

It was Sasuke, surprisingly, who answered, "Of course not. He is too much of a dobe to do it on his own. I bet me and Sakura would have to do most of the job for him."

Sakura giggled while Naruto yelled, "Teme!"

And under all the noise and attention to the two bickering boys, Neji pecked Sakura on the cheek when he thought that no one was looking. But of course Mebuki saw them. Sometimes, a mother has eyes sharper that any ninja. Honestly, all these ninja hadn't noticed the kiss but she had.

She actually thought that it was cute how they were holding hands, with Sakura blushing like a tomato and Neji wearing a satisfied smirk on his face.

**...**

Sarotobi Hiruzen smiled at the crystal ball in front of him. And he asked his companions, "What do you two think?"

"They will make a great team one day. The girl will keep them in line and give them strength. She will be their support line, I talked to her father and he said that she wants to become a medical ninja."

"Well then, it's just her luck that Tsunade-chan is coming back this week, eh Jiraya?"

At the look of pure pervertedness on his students face, Sarotobi chuckled. It was a known fact how much Jiraya loved Tsunade.

"Continue, Jiraya."

Jiraya shook his head, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, stood straight again and continued, "The Uchiha will be a prodigy, not like his brother, but he will be the best of them at Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. The girl will be stronger at Genjutsu and she will be smarter than him. He'll be smart but not at her level."

"And Naruto-kun?" Asked Hiruzen.

Jiraya sighed, "My Godson will be the knucklehead of the team. But he will be the strongest of them all. He's the child of prophecy and he's supposed to bring peace to this world. But I honestly don't know how he will do it." Said Jiraya with his eyes narrowed to slits.

Hiruzen chuckled at him, "You know better that to let appearances deceive you, Jiraya."

Jiraya sighed and said, "This team will be like family to each other."

"What about you, Kakashi-kun? What do you think about them?"

Kakashi lifted his lone eye from his new book, courtesy of Jiraya, and locked gazes with the Hokage. "They really look like your students, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage smiled.

"Well, then. It's settled. These three will be the new generation of team 7, and you, Kakashi-kun are going to be their sensei."

**...**

**A/N: So, I've got up to chapter 20 outlined and waiting to be written. Do you guys think I should continue or what?**

**Thoughts?**

**Bye bye**

**Zee :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven - Kittens and future.**

Itachi was stunned. He just came out of the Hokage's office, and was just promoted to Jonin. And of course at the age of 11 that was a feat. But that was not why he was called to the office at the crack of dawn. No. He was called because his brother and his friends have been appointed to be the descendants of the legendary Team 7.

That was a feat not even he, genin at age 6 managed to do.

This privilege came with a lot of things. Team 7 was legendary. The first ever was Tobirama's Team, which had the current Hokage as a student, then came the legendary Sannin as Sarotobi's students. Then Namikaze Minato and his team as Jiraya's students. Then Minato had the last team which was formed of Uchiha Obito, Nohara Rin and Hatake Kakashi. And now, it will be his brother and the other two trouble makers. It made sense that Hatake-san would be their teacher.

But everything came with it's precautions. They were watched from a young age. A very young age. All the gennin that were chosen for the team were monitored from a very young age to ensure their ability to maintain the legacy of the team.

That's why he's been called to the Hokage's office. He was appointed to watch them. And he gladly accepted. It _was_ easier for him to watch them without having the Uchiha clan suspect anything, they will surly catch an outsider watching the second son of the head clan. But having Itachi watching his brother was as easy as eating Dango, like Sakura put it.

Of course, nobody was to know of this decision, yet.

Itachi smirked. He loved his first mission as a newly appointed Jonin. It promised to provide so much entertainment.

**...**

"Tou-san! Tou-san!"

Kizashi looked at his daughter. She supposedly went out to play with Sasuke and Naruto, so he took the opportunity to sit down and read a book in the fresh morning air with a cup of tea in their backyard. And now, not thirty minutes later, comes Sakura.

He placed his book down and gave her his full attention. He knew that she would get loud and grumpy if she didn't have his undivided attention. But something caught his eye in his daughter.

Now Kizashi didn't know anything about how or when a girl starts developing into a woman, but he was sure that his girl was too young to start that. And he knew for a fact that she didn't have a pronounced chest when she left this morning. Kizashi started to panic. What was going on with his baby? Is this normal? Do they grow over night? He was a lonely child, should he talk with her about this? Where is Mebuki when you need her? Wait .. Are they _moving_? He was sure that they aren't supposed to do that on their own.

"Look what I found!" Said Sakura, oblivious to the emotions of annoyance, realization, panic and confusion crossing her fathers face.

Just then the two balls went up his daughters shirt much to Kizashi's horror, and out popped two kittens.

And being the overly intelligent person that he is, he said the most intelligent thing that came to his short circuited mind, "What?"

"Kitties, Tou-san! Kitties!"

Realization dawned on him and he felt relief flood through him. His baby was still a baby, he had nothing to worry about.

"Why are they in your shirt, Sakura-chan?"

"They were cold!"

And as if to prove her right, the kittens meowed.

"Can I keep them? Please?" She looked at him with puppy dog eyes. He was hooked. Not like he could deny her anything. He sighed.

"Sure thing, kitty. But we're going to have to get them checked first."

And that's what they did, they went to the vet, had them checked and bought the necessary items to take care of them while the veteran gave them shots.

On their way back Kizashi asked, "What are you going to name them, pumpkin?"

"Sasuke and Naruto!"

"What? Why?"

"'Cause, Tou-san," started Sakura as if her father was too dense to see the obvious, "this one is orange and white, orange is just like Naruto! And this one is black, just like Sasuke!"

For the first time Kizashi took a look at the kittens. He found what his daughter was saying to be true. But he decided to pick her mind a bit, "Then why didn't you name the black one Itachi? Or Shisui?"

"Because these two keep fighting like Sasuke and Naruto."

And they were, scratching at each other in front of them while they walked. Kizashi smiled. It was time for a lesson.

"You know Sakura, taking care of these two will teach you responsibility, which is very important for a ninja .."

He continued giving her the lesson with Sakura drinking every word in like a sponge, while they did some grocery shopping.

He was talking to one of the vendors when he heard Sakura yell.

"No!"

"Sakura? What's wrong?"

"Naruto's dead!"

Alarmed, he approached her, "What! Where!?"

"There." She got up and approached a cart and bent down to retrieve the orange cat from beneath its wheel. She cradled the cat and looked at her dad with such a broken look that some of the women that had stopped to see what was going on had tears in their eyes.

Kizashi on the other hand felt himself sag in relief. He forgot about her naming the cats after her friends and thought that some villager finally snapped and killed Naruto, the real Naruto.

He took the kitten from his daughter, ignoring the other mewling cat, and checked 'Naruto'. The cat was breathing, but not for long. He had to do something before it really dies and his girl gets depressed about it.

"Sakura, get Sasuke inside your shirt, and hold Naruto." Doing as told, she felt her father picking up their bags, hanging then on his forearms and then picking her up before taking off to the rooftops.

Once a ninja, always a ninja.

**...**

Tsunade was finally having her break. The hospital was a chaos when she arrived a week ago, and she has been trying to put it together ever since. She was leaning back in her seat and thinking about the red haired man that talked with her in the Hokage's office. He was the father of the female member of the future team 7.

The Hokage had already told her about the girls interest in medical jutsu, and the father came to tell her about the girls skills.

Could he be lying to her about his daughters abilities? Could there finally be someone who had perfect chakra control like her? Konoha really needed another medic like her. But it's hard to believe the man, especially since most parents tend to exaggerate about their children's abilities. But the Hokage believed him, and she knew her sensei would always check to see if the word is true or not, before telling her. But she was still cautious about this. No need to have her hopes high and then be disappointed. Even Shizune has her limits. She can't do everything that Tsunade can because she lacked the same level of chakra control.

She was brought out of her thoughts when someone opened her window. She recognized him instantly. Of course she would, she was just thinking about him.

Noting the girl on his back and his panting, she took the girl of Kizashi's back.

"Please help him!" The little girl cried.

Tsunade was still in the process of digesting the girls colors when she said that, she was told about her coloring but nothing could have prepared her for the real thing. Looking at the now composed Kizashi, who was giving her a pointed look, she wondered who the girl was talking about. Her father seemed fine to her.

At the pointed look from the male Haruno, she remembered their agreement to have the girl ask for training rather than offering it to her.

Looking at the girl she noticed the cat she held in her arms. Taking the little kitten while crouching, Tsunade checked it with chakra, and made extra sure to have the girl see her chakra, and studied her.

To her surprise, the girl didn't look awed at the sight of her chakra. She looked as if it was a natural thing. Had she been injured before and a medic-nin treated her?

During her musings she unconsciously healed the cat. She stopped when it started mewling. That's when a look of admiration filled the girls eyes.

"Wow!"

Tsunade smirked at her and handed her the cat back and stood up from her crouched position in front of the girl.

"Tsunade-sama, could you teach me?"

Tsunade looked at Kizashi with a slight glare. He wasn't supposed to tell Sakura who she was.

"How do you know my name, gaki?"

"I read about you. A lot of the books in the library have your name and techniques in them, but none had a picture, so I looked in the bingo book. I tried doing a lot of your techniques, but something always goes wrong. My chakra is just like yours when I want to heal but it won't heal ..."

Tsunade listened to the girl rambling, but she stopped her at that point, "You can use medical chakra?"

"Yes."

"Show me."

So Sakura lifted her hand and then a green glow appeared coating it. Tsunade was awed. People took months, some even years to get to the stage this girl was at, and she just looked like it was an everyday thing!

Her mind was made up. She's going to train this girl. It was too much of a risk not to train her. She was a prodigy! No way was she slipping from her hands. But she had to make this girl understand that this is nothing to go around bragging about. She had to scare her. Just one last test to make sure that she won't be disappointed.

She crouched in front of the girl again and her hand returned normal.

"Look, Sakura, right?" At the girls nod, she continued, "What you just did isn't something normal. It takes some people _years_ to do what you just did. You have to know that if you go around bragging about this you will be targeted. People will be after you, and Kami-sama only knows what they would do to a little girl like you."

Tsunade said this with the most menacing, scary and sinister look she could muster, which was a lot. But the girl never wavered. She looked even more determined.

"I understand. I won't tell anybody, except for Neji-kun."

She didn't get it. Why wasn't this girl afraid? She should be pissing her pants.

"Why?"

"Because he's my closest friend! We are getting married when we grow up!"

Cutting the girls enthusiasm, she said, "That's not what I meant, gaki! Why aren't you afraid? Why are you determined about this?"

The solemn look on the childish face that Sakura had was weird. "Because I want to be there for my friends. What if someone got hurt and you were out of town again? I don't trust anybody else to save them!"

Tsunade smiled, pleased. The girl was in for the right reasons. She motioned the girl to come closer. She could feel Kizashi's eyes on them, and hear the cats scuffling in the far corner of her office.

Retrieving a kunai from her holster, she made a gash on her arm and instructed Sakura while the later complied, "Call upon your healing chakra. Now push it into the gash. No, no, no. See, your problem is that you send your chakra to the gap, you have to send it to the skin on the edges. Good, good. Now imagine the cells multiplying to close the wound."

And just like that, the gash was closed. No scabbing. No scar. No _anything_.

"So? Are you going to train me?"

"Call me shishou."

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou!"

Tsunade smiled. She finally hit the jackpot. Her luck was finally looking good.

She frowned. That was a bad omen.

**...**

Arriving at their backyard, they found all the boys there, waiting for them.

Sakura jumped directly to Neji, and hugged him tightly. He hugged her back. Then she pulled back and started telling Neji about her day, leaving out her encounter with Tsunade, she would tell him when they were alone. She took out the two kittens from her shirt so Neji could see them.

Kizashi could tell that Neji didn't like the idea that she named the kittens after Sasuke and Naruto. But he didn't comment. Just like Kizashi didn't comment that Neji still had his arms around Sakura. But some people weren't as patient. Namely Naruto.

"Hey! Get your hands off _my_ Sakura-chan!"

Neji raised an eyebrow at the shouting blond and the glaring Uchiha. Great. Just his luck. These two were always fighting and bickering and they finally agreed on something, and that something was against him. He smirked.

"_Your Sakura-chan_?" Asked Neji as he tightened his hold on Sakura.

"Yeah!" Chorused both of them.

"Sorry to inform you, but she's _mine_."

"No way! She's mine!" Yelled Naruto.

"Well, ask her."

They looked at Sakura, who was scratching Naruto the cat behind the ear.

"Yeah, that's true. He gave me this necklace," and she showed them the necklace, "and it means that we are going to date, then get married when we grow up!"

Seeing her happiness and giddiness put a smug smile on Neji's face. "See, she's mine!"

Trying to salvage some of their dignity, and of course it had to be Sasuke who had to do it, since Naruto was on the ground wailing to his hearts content. He said with a smug smile, "Yeah, but she named the kittens after us."

The next day Neji brought a white kitten for Sakura.

"I'm naming him Neji!"

Now, Neji had the biggest smug-smile that could ever exist, while Naruto wailed just like the day before, and Sasuke was silently crying while sucking his thumb.

Shisui and Itachi watched everything with amusement, while the later took notes for the Hokage.

**...**

**A/N: Hope this chapter put some light on a couple of things :)**

**Sakura Hatsu, honestly, is this fic that predictable? You make want to cry :'(**

**Anyways, I'm not conforming or denying anything, yet. You'll just have to read to find out :)**

**Till next chapter,**

**Zee :) **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Academy and Clans.**

_'Where is he? Why is he late? Where __**is **__he?!'_ Thought Sakura as she waited on her door step with her lunch and back bag.

"Looking for me?" Asked Neji.

"Neji-kun! You're late!"

"No, I'm not. It's exactly 7:15." He said while he showed her his watch.

She pouted. It was her first day at the Academy, and she was nervous. Very nervous. What if the other kids don't like her? What if something goes wrong? What if ...?

"Stop worrying, Sakura!" Admonished Neji gently.

"I'm not worrying!" Said Sakura while crossing her arms defensively.

"Yes, you are. You're biting your lower lip."

Sakura pouted even more. Neji took her hand and leaned his forehead against hers. "Don't worry. I'll be there for you. Besides, you will have Hinata-nii-sama, Sasuke-san and Naruto-san with you in the same class. They won't let anything happen to you."

Looking in his eyes and seeing that he was being honest, she relaxed.

He tugged her hand and they walked to the Academy together.

Her parents were supposed to walk her, but her father had went back to being a ninja, much to Mebuki's chagrin, and he was usually away from the crack of dawn, till the sun sets. And her mother, sigh, her mother refused to take her because she still doesn't approve of being a ninja, and she didn't want Sakura to get the wrong idea.

Not that it mattered to Neji, anyway. He was already planning on walking with her to the Academy and back every morning and every afternoon.

**...**

"Sakura-chaaaan!"

"Naruto! Sasuke!"

Neji pulled Sakura to him and hugged her tightly, to avoid getting her getting crushed by a flailing Naruto.

"Why you!"

Sakura started giggling at Naruto, who was trying to punch Neji, while Neji had his hand in Naruto's face to keep him away from Neji and Sakura.

After a while everything settled down and they heard the bell ring. Neji escorted Sakura to her class, who was oblivious to all of the glares she's getting from the girls courtesy of being hugged by _The _Hyuuga Neji, and having _The _Uchiha Sasuke follow behind her to class.

At arriving to Sakura's class, Neji leaned in and whispered, "You will be fine, Sakura-hime."

"H-hime?"

"Got a problem?"

"N-no." Stammered Sakura.

Then Neji turned to the two boys, who had already entered the class, and said, "I trust that you two will keep an eye on her and my cousin during classes?"

"Of course we will!"

"Hn."

Neji nodded, satisfied, and turned to a blushing Sakura and bid her farewell, kissed her cheek and went to his own class.

A tomato red Sakura walked into class.

"She's sitting next to me, teme!"

"Nobody would ever want to sit next to you, dobe, least of all Sakura-chan."

"That's not true! Is it Sakura-chan?"

Turning to said girl, they didn't find her where she was last. A quick look around the classroom revealed her pulling a chair next to Hinata.

"Ohayo, Hinata-chan."

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan."

Sakura turned to look at the boys to find them glaring at something behind her.

Looking at that direction, she noticed a boy with a pineapple-shaped-head getting nearer. He pulled the chair on the other side of her and sat.

"I'm Nara Shikamaru."

"Haruno Sakura."

"Hyuuga H-hinata."

"You two seem quiet enough." Commented Shikamaru in a lazy manner.

Sakura and Hinata exchanged looks, then turned to the Nara, and Sakura asked, "Quiet enough for what?"

"For napping, of coarse."

And that's what he did. He put an arm on the table in front of him, layed his head on it and promptly fell asleep. He didn't wake up when Naruto was going to smash his head in for 'Taking his rightful place next to Sakura-chan!', or when Sasuke held Naruto back, or when the Sakura and Hinata started giggling, or when a hoard of fangirls started screaming 'Sasuke-kuuun', not even when the teacher came in and started the lesson, much to Sakura's and Hinata's amusement.

He only woke up when Akamichi Choji woke him up in time for lunch break.

**...**

Sakura was in the process of putting away her books and getting out her lunch when she was shoved to the ground.

"H-hey! What was that for!" Yelled Sakura.

"That's for going near _our_ Neji-kun and _our _Sasuke-kun."

The girls surrounding her were big, and had mean looks on their faces. Sakura was scared, but she couldn't afford to look afraid in front of 'The Enemies', that's what Tsunade-shishou taught her.

But she was terrified. And if these girls were older and had the ability to sense chakra, then they would know just how terrified she was.

**...**

Neji spent the first five minutes of break looking for Sakura. He couldn't find her. Deciding to look for her friends that were supposed to be looking after her, he felt anger swell inside of him when he saw the two bickering, with no Sakura in sight. He vaguely registered that Hinata was behind the two.

Then he felt it.

Danger.

He didn't know why, but this strong sense of panic came crashing into him at once, and he had the urge to run to Sakura's class room. So he ran. As fast as he could, he ran.

When he arrived, he was livid at the sight that met him.

Sakura, _his _Sakura was in between seven girls, who were using verbal insults to break the girl down. She was holding her own quit well, but there is only so much a little girl could take. But what made his anger topple over and all hell break loose, was when a girl dared to touch Sakura the wrong way.

"**WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HER!**"Boomed Neji. And just like that, the girls froze. Sakura looked up from the ground at the new voice.

"Neji-kun!" And she ran to his side and he wrapped his arm protectively around her with her clutching him for all she was worth. Sure she's training with one of the sannin but she still isn't all that strong.

"Are you alright, Hime?"

"Y-yes."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, Neji-kun. I'm fine." And she smiled gently at him to prove her words.

Comforting himself that she was okay, he turned to the girls, who were glaring daggers at Sakura, and said, "If any of you, or anyone else for that matter, ever does anything wrong to her again, I swear I'll ..."

"You'll what? Kill us?" Said a brunette girl angrily. Honestly, who does this girl think she is? _Her _Neji-kun was defending thid filth? Why?!

"No, I'll have the whole Hyuuga clan on your case!" Said Neji angrily.

"And why would the Hyuuga clan care about a little pink haired nobody, with a big forehead and pathetic ninja skills, like her?"

How dare she? How dare she say that about Sakura?! Sakura was, and still is, his first friend. She taught him what it meant to be a part of a family! Her family became his family! His new family helped mend the broken relationship with his real family! Heck, Sakura is going to _be_ his family in the future!

"Because she is going to be the wife of the head of the clan!" At their gasps he continued, "Yes, I'm marrying her when we grow up and there is nothing you could do about it!" And with that he pulled Sakura out of the classroom full of 'sobbing' girls and lead her outside to a tree. He always sat at in the branches of this tree for lunch. They sat down and had their lunch in peace (Well, as much peace you could get while planning on taking revenge from the two idiots that were supposed to keep an eye on his Hime and with a crazy Inner who kept swooning over her Neji doll and throwing daggers at dolls that looked like those girls with Sasuke-doll and Naruto-doll in between them).

**...**

The end of the first day of school came by too slow for Neji's liking, but it came, and he had one thing in mind at the moment.

Bring pain to two idiots.

Neji walked with long strides(as long as a seven year old could manage) and had only one thing in mind, and unfortunately for the Uchiha of the idiot-duo, he was the first to be spotted by him. Apparently Naruto decided to leave early so he wouldn't be shunned by the grown ups. But Neji didn't think of that. No. All he thought about while turning the Uchiha around was the satisfaction in seeing the surprise on Sasuke's face as he bunched the front of his shirt and glared daggers at him.

"I thought I trusted you and your idiot of a friend to keep your eyes on Sakura! Did you do that? No! You two were busy bickering like the idiots you are, and left her to be bullied by seven older girls!"

Neji's voice got louder and louder with each word, so when he stopped he was panting.

Sasuke's eyes widened at what he heard, but before he could ask where Sakura is at that moment, his father stepped in. "And who do you think _you_ are to talk to my son like that!" Asked an angry Fugaku.

Neji's eyes widened in realization. It was the first day of school. It was custom for parents to come pick their kids at the first day in the academy. But he wasn't worried; because that meant that his uncle, Hiashi, was here too. He was proven right when the next voice spoke, "He is _my_ heir. And he could talk to the brat as he pleases, since your boy can't even honor his word!"

_'Uh-oh!'_ Thought Sakura, who was standing in the middle of the yelling men, _'They are going to start fighting! What do I do?!'_

**'Oooooh, you go girl! Two clans fighting over you! Finally, our awesomeness is put to use!' **Said Inner while striking a pose to show off her 'awesomeness'.

_'Inner! I need help! And you aren't helping!'_

**'Fine, fine. Look, Itachi-nii-san is over there, maybe he will step in?'**

_'I really hope so!'_

Sakura tuned in, in that moment to hear the most horrifying thing ever.

"Well," Said a, now, composed Fugaku, "We will solve this the traditional way. A spar."

"Deal." Said Hiashi without missing a beat.

Everyone knew that it isn't going to be a spar. It was going to be a fight, a war, a battle! But the clan heads were too high to call it as such.

Everyone was watching, waiting. Adults and children alike were waiting to see the two kids start their 'spar'. Sakura looked at them and noticed that from their facial expressions, they didn't want to do this. Itachi was on the receiving end of a cold glare from Fugaku to keep his mouth shut, and Hiashi was purposefully avoiding her gaze while carrying a fidgeting Hanabi. So Sakura did the most logical thing in that moment.

She cried.

Not silent tears. Not little sniffs and hushed crying. No. She was right out wailing and crying her heart out for all to hear and see.

And see they did. After a few seconds Hanabi started crying along with her. Then a few other children from around the Academy's 'front yard' joined them. Neji quickly made his way to her, but he didn't know what to do.

Before he could start panicking a soft voice said, "Look at what you two did! There, there little girl. Come here." Said Uchiha Mikoto as she approached Sakura and bent to her level.

Sakura, Seeing Itachi nod his head in her direction, went to the woman's embrace.

"You must be Sakura-chan. Aren't you?" When Mikoto received a nod, she said, "Would you like to tell me why you're crying, dear?"

Lifting her head from the woman's chest, Sakura sniffed, "Because Saskue is like me brother, and Neji is my first friend..."

"And future boyfriend." Added Itachi from the side. Sakura blushed but continued, "Yeah... Anyways, They both are my precious people, and I don't want to see them fighting."

And with those words, glares from Mikoto to both clan heads, plus some insulting from her to both parties about 'Stupid clans and their stupid pride', and promises of dango for Sakura, the girl calmed down and asked the question that astonished all of them, "Are the two clans going to be friends from now on, or are we going to have to wait till Neji-kun and Itachi-nii-san are clan heads?"

Said future clan heads smirked.

**...**

**A/N: Well, there are a few things I would like to clear up :**

**1\. There are a few things I would like to establish before going in depth with Neji and Sakura's relationship. These thing are important for said relationship.**

**2\. I believe that Neji and Sakura are still young to really know what love is, so it's a bit hard for me to write scenes of them together at such an age while still keeping it genuine.**

**3\. About the kittens, I don't think that they would be mentioned again (not individually at least) so don't worry about confusing them, they would be referred to together, if I ever bring them up.**

**Thoughts? Ideas? Complains?**

**Till next time,**

**Zee :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine – Kidnapped.**

'_You think you could keep down the racket, Inner?'_

"**I'm busy! Can't you see that I'm organizing my dolls?!"**

'_You've been at it for an __**hour**__! Give me a break!'_

"**It's not my problem that there are a lot of cuties around us!"**

Sakura sweat dropped as she looked at Inner organizing dolls on shelves in her head. _'I should really burn them.'_

"**You wouldn't dare!"** Said Inner, while hugging her Neji doll, appalled at what her Outer self was saying.

'_Yes I would! Now keep it down! I think we are being followed.'_

Sakura was vaguely aware of somebody watching her; she didn't know what to do. Neji didn't go to the Academy that day, so she had to walk alone to and from the Academy. Now she was on her way to visit Neji, who Hinata had told her that was fine, but the Hyuuga elders refused to listen to Neji who said as much.

Now she didn't want to make a scene and then look like an idiot, but she _knew_ that whoever was following her was somebody dangerous. At first she thought it was her bullies from before, since Neji wasn't there for the first time in two years, maybe they thought that they could get away with bullying her. If that was the case then they would be in for a big surprise. She was eight now, and a lot stronger that when they first assaulted her.

But that wasn't the case. No. Whoever was following her had big chakra reserves. Her father taught her how to sense these stuff. But what could she do now? It was almost 3 in the afternoon and she was on a road to the Hyuuga compound that is only taken by Hyuuga. It was rare to see somebody that wasn't a Hyuuga -or wasn't Sakura- anywhere near the Hyuuga compound.

Before she could think of a way to call for help in the middle of nowhere, she felt a hand cover her mouth. She felt panic run through her as she smelt the weird smell, and knew she was being drugged, before she fell unconscious and the man behind her caught her with a sinister smile.

**...**

Neji shot up from his bed. He felt something. Panic. In his slightly sick state he shakily stood up, but before he could do anything, the feeling was gone, another feeling replacing it. Dread.

He _had_ to do something. He had to find her. He was sure it was Sakura and their connection through the necklace that alerted him. She must be in danger and somebody knocked her out for the feeling of panic to disappear like that.

But there was one problem with that. His clan. They will never let him leave when he was 'sick'. Neji scoffed. Honestly, a mere cold doesn't count as sick. But that's not what the Elders thought.

Neji _had_ to find a way to get away from all these Byakugan eyes.

He smirked.

_'This is going to be interesting.'_

**...**

Itachi knelt in front of the Hokage. He hated his self right now, but it was no use. What he had done was right.

The Hokage looked at the young ANBU captain in front of him and frowned. That was a big mess he is going to have to clean.

"Itachi-kun, you are dismissed."

Itachi rose from the ground, bowed to his Hokage and then turned to leave. But before he could reach the door, Hiruzen called out to him, "Itachi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you. I know what you did was very hard on you, but rest assured that I will solve this problem."

Itachi nodded and left the office.

**...**

Night rolled by, and Itachi stared at the document in his hand.

He took a deep breath. He should've known that the Hokage wouldn't be able to find a solution that would be perfect.

He agreed to do this, but he couldn't kill Sasuke. Anybody, but Sasuke. He promised his mother, when Sasuke was born, that he would protect his little brother with everything he had.

But something was bothering him about this mission. Why hadn't the Hokage called him into his office and gave him the mission like every other mission? Hiruzen wasn't a coward, so why didn't Itachi get called to his office? Unless...

He was cut off by somebody calling his code name.

"Raven-san! Raven-san!"

_'Neji? What would he want? And what is he doing out at this time of the night? Last I heard he was sick.'_

Itachi stopped at the roof he was on so the boy could catch up to him. When he did, Itachi noticed something weird, the boy was panicked. His Byakugan was on and his eyes were wild looking everywhere at the same time and it was obvious that he had adrenalin running through him.

"Itachi-san! You have to help me!"

Itachi recovered from the surprise of Neji knowing his true identity, by remembering that the kid has his Byakugan n and was familiar with Itachi's chakra network from the training sessions Kizashi organized for them, and waited for the boy to elaborate, which he did.

"It's Sakura."

At this, Itachi tensed.

"Explain." Demanded Itachi in a cold voice befitting of his status as ANBU captain.

"I felt her panic this afternoon, so I snuck out of the Hyuuga compound to find her, but even before I got out, the connection between us died. It's like she passed out. I couldn't find her all day! But now she's awake. And she is sending me these signals. I ... I can't go alone. I don't know how, but I just _know_ that whoever has her is too strong for me to handle on my own."

Itachi frowned. "But you said you couldn't find her."

"I can teleport to her now that she is awake and in danger. Will you come with me?" Asked Neji with terror itched into his features.

"I think we should tell the Hokage and wait for reinforcements, Neji-san."

"NO!"

Itachi stared at the heaving kid with shock. He had never heard him get out of line, just like any Hyuuga or any Uchiha never did.

"You can't feel it. I can feel what she's feeling and she is _terrified_, Itachi-san. I will not wait till she's dead, or till she faints again. We have to go NOW."

Itachi could feel the graveness of the situation in the boy's voice. Heck, he could see it on his usually composed face. Itachi acted quickly. He got out a scroll and wrote down the information quickly and summoned a raven to get it to the Hokage.

His mission could wait, but Sakura's live can't. The raven would have to bring the reinforcement squad to their location. He wasn't worries since his ravens are connected to him and could reach him wherever he was.

"Now, how about you teleport us to your girlfriend."

"And _your_ little sister." Neji all but growled at him. Before Itachi could get in a word to continue their banter, Neji made a few hand signs and teleported them the second Itachi touched his arm.

What they saw when they arrived, was a sight they never thought they would see, nor did they care to see again.

Sakura was on the ground. Her body beat and battered and she had blood seeping out of a lot of cuts on her body. She had a lot of bruises.

Neji ran to her while shouting her name. "Sakura!"

Turning her around, and seeing her half open eyes, still breathing chest and checking her pulse, he sighed a sigh of relief.

"Neji-kun?"

"I'm here Hime." Said Neji as he held the hand that she raised.

At hearing his voice she smiled.

Meanwhile, Itachi faced their assailant. He was mildly surprised to see Danzo.

"So, Itachi. Fulfilled your mission yet?"

Itachi didn't answer, instead he asked, "What were you doing to Sakura?"

"Oh? You know her?"

"Yes. But you already knew that didn't you?" As Itachi spoke, everything began to click in his mind. Why the Hokage hadn't called him to his office. Why he was given the mission scroll by Danzo. Why Danzo chose to kidnap Sakura this night, instead of every other night.

"I did, did I?

"Yes. That's why you wanted me to kill my clan tonight. So everybody would be too busy by the massacre to look for a little girl. That's why _you _gave me the scroll, not Hokage-sama. This mission," Said Itachi as he took out the scroll, "Was from you, not the Hokage. Right, Danzo-_sama_?" Said Itachi with scorn coloring his words.

"Well, well, well. It turns out you truly are a prodigy." Said Danzo, mocking Itachi. "Let's see what you will do now."

Before Itachi could even blink Danzo was gone from in front of him and heading towards Sakura and Neji.

"Look out!" Called Itachi as he tried to catch up to him, but he knew he wouldn't be there in time and Neji wouldn't be able to move himself _and_ Sakura in his weakened state.

Before he could formulate a plan, and faster than either Neji or Sakura could blink, several puffs of smoke filled the air.

Hyuuga Hiashi, Uchiha Fugaku, Hatake Kakashi, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Inazuka Tsume and Haruno Kizashi. They all popped into existence. Literally.

"Neji, Itachi, take Sakura to the hospital." Said Hiruzen.

"But I can help!" Said Itachi.

"Listen to your Hokage, Itachi!" Yelled Fugaku.

Danzo started laughing. "Oh this is rich coming from _you_, Fugaku! The person, who is planning a coup to overthrow the Hokage, wants his son to obey said Hokage's orders?"

"You know _nothing_!" Screamed Fugaku.

"Itachi! She's losing a lot of blood!" Yelled Neji.

"Go Itachi! We'll take care of him!" Said Kizashi.

At Itachi's hesitant expression, Tsume said, "Go, you mutt! Or do you want her to die?!"

At this Itachi approached the pinkette and her future husband and teleported them away. He could hear the telltale of the battle beginning but he had to get Sakura to Tsunade-sama.

He teleported to the front of the hospital and didn't wait to see if Neji was following him. He carried an unconscious Sakura into the hospital and narrowed down onto the Sannen's chakra.

He could feel that Jiraya was there with her, but Sakura's life was much more important than their interactions, especially since they keep denying them.

Itachi barreled into Tsunade's office with Neji at his heels. They were greeted by the couple trying to untangle their limbs from each other. Tsunade's mouth was open and ready to yell at the intruders for not knocking, but her voice caught in her throat at seeing her daughter figure in such a state.

"What the hell happened!?" Yelled Tsunade.

"There isn't any time! I'll explain later! Heal her!" Said Itachi.

When the girl was securely in her mentors arms, and the woman was heading down the lobby yelling at the nurses with Neji trailing behind her, Itachi turned to Jiraya, "Come on, I'll explain on the way!"

**...**

Itachi and Jiraya arrived at the scene to see Danzo on the ground, with all the other surrounding his fallen figure.

"You are a weak and pathetic excuse for a Hokage. I have no idea what Tobirama saw in you to appoint you as his successor." Spat Danzo.

"Maybe he saw the Will of Fire that you never possessed." Retorted Tsume, who was loyal to a fault to her Hokage.

"Will of Fire?! Ha! What mockery! You will all die! This village will be in ruins! Mark my words, Sarutobi!" Yelled Danzo.

"Even if what you're saying is the truth, the Leaf Village will raise again from the dust, because that's just who we are." Said a calm Kakashi.

It looked like Danzo was about to say something but he couldn't. He had just breathed his last breath.

"Awww man! I wished that I had the opportunity to kick his ass!" Said Jiraya.

"Well, if you and Tsunade-chan came to the meeting like I requested, then you would've been there when Itachi's messenger came in. But I guess you were too busy, eh, Jiraya?" Said Hiruzen with a smirk.

At Jiraya's blush some of them began to laugh and mock him. He could never figure his sensei out. Most of the time he was kind and gentle. But he was a Hokage which spoke of his power. And other times he was like a teenager. Like now.

Childishly turning his head away, Jiraya grumbled, "Yeah, yeah. Now you mock me, but I would like to see any of you say something like that to Tsunade and still live to tell the tale."

At that everybody quickly shut up.

"Now then, we have matters to discuss and problems to solve. Don't we Fugaku-kun?" Asked Hiruzen, unknowingly proving Jiraya's point.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Said Fugaku in a humble voice with a slight bow, opposite of his usually scorning self, which served to make Itachi relax.

Yes. Everything was going to be okay.

Itachi smiled.

**...**

Sakura felt tired. Very tired. She has been awake for a while now but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes. She could hear the heart monitor in the room, so she guessed she was hospitalized after trying, and failing, to defend herself from Danzo. The last thing she remembers was Neji's face and voice. She could hear a couple of whispers and a few soft breathings around the room. But what had her attention was the warm presence on her right. The breathing was soft, and the warmth was extended to encircle her waist.

"Oh, stop it Kizashi! They are just children!"

"Yes, Kizashi-san. They are also very cute."

Sakura could hear voices now. She vaguely registered that the first voice was her mothers and the second one was Itachi's and Sasuke's mother.

She scrunched her brow trying to think about what had her father in such a bad mood that two women had to try to calm him down.

"But she is my little baby! Look at how he is all curled up next to her!"

"Neji has a cold, Kizashi. He was merely holding her hand, but fell asleep and apparently he crawled next to the closest source of warmth." Explained an exasperated Hiashi.

Oh. _Oooh_! The warmth on her right was Neji's body. The warmth around her waist was Neji's arm. The air on her neck was Neji's breath. Neji was snuggled next to her and had his head buried into her neck.

After processing that information, Sakura's face lit up to be as red as a tomato, and then she pulled a Hinata and fainted. But nobody could tell because she never opened her eyes in the first place.

**...**

The next time Sakura came to, she felt someone holding her hand, and the room was much livelier than the first time.

She cracked her eyes open to see Neji holding her hand, but he wasn't concentrated on her. No. His head was turned to the side, and he was looking in astonishment at something.

Looking at the direction he was looking at, she found Naruto and Choji, sitting down in front of a table full of food, and they were eating at a very fast pace. A lot of the kids from their class were there too. Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba, Hinata, Shino and Sasuke. Itachi, Tsunade, Jiraya and her classmates' parents were there too.

She looked back at Naruto when Akamichi Choza spoke to him, "Well, Naruto. You surely put a lot of Akamichi men to shame. That stomach of yours is an endless pit!"

Sakura giggled at the embarrassed look on Naruto's face, which made everyone turn to look at her.

"Sakura-chan!"

And thus, began the annoying, but heart whelming of everybody asking about how she felt (The clan heads), if she wanted anything (Her mother), Why did she have to give their old hears a heart attack (Her father), if she wanted ramen (Naruto), 'No, dobe. She wants tomatoes' (Sasuke), if she wanted to go shopping (Ino), if she likes puppies (Kiba), hope you feel better (Shino and Hinata), not to ever drop dead in the hospital like that! (Tsunade), if she likes books (Jiraya, who got slapped upside the head), an eye crinkle from a masked man she remembered seeing with the rescue team.

She answered each and every one of them as patiently as she could, all the while feeling Neji's tight grip on her hand, and smiling softly to herself.

At the first chance he got, Neji kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Don't scare me like that again, Hime. I don't want to lose you."

Sakura blushed prettily at that, but nobody noticed since Sasuke and Naruto were fighting again, and they found their banter to be quite interesting.

"TEME! Speed is the best thing in the world! That's how the fourth Hokage, my idol, was a great man!"

"Hmph, dobe. No matter how much speed you have you can't fight against the sharingan. And the fourth Hokage would be ashamed if he knew _you_ idolize him. I'm sure he is rolling in his grave right about now."

"TEME!"

"Out of my hospital! Both of you!"

Yup, a very interesting banter indead.

**...**

**A/N: Now that was neck breaking. And back breaking. And ... well you know what I mean. :P**

**Anyways, tell me what you think!**

**Ja ne!**

**Zee **


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – United, undivided.**

**Warning: Time skip and unhappy-ish events.**

Sakura stares with wide eyes at the Hokage. She is standing in his office, with Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Itachi and Fugaku. Tsunade and Jiraya are standing behind their teacher.

She couldn't believe what she just heard. "You can't be serious, old man!" Yells an angry Naruto.

She looks at Sasuke to see his reaction to all of this and finds that he is surprised beyond belief.

"I am serious about this, Naruto. I'm also serious about stepping down this month and having Tsunade as the Godaime Hokage." Announces Hiruzen.

Sakura turns to look at her mentor and doesn't see her surprised. It means that she knew. Sakura expected this though. Hiruzen is getting old, and he wouldn't have survived if it weren't for Tsunade punching Orochimaru's ugly face and Jiraya cutting off his arms.

"But, what if he finds out? He'll _kill_ Sasuke!" Says Sakura.

"That's why Sasuke is going to make sure that he _doesn't_ find out." Says Jiraya. He knows that Tsunade couldn't comfort her apprentice right now, so he decides to speak for her.

"But he is one of you guys! A sennin! Sasuke will be in danger!" Yells Naruto.

Before Jiraya could say anything to his godson, Sasuke speaks up, "I'll do it."

"WHAT!" Yell both Sakura and Naruto. The older shinobi in the room already know about this. They've already discussed it with the Hokage, and then brought the kids in to tell them.

"I'll do it." Repeats Sasuke. Then, he adds, "I can do it. I won't communicate with anybody from the village unless absolutely necessary."

"Why would you do such a thing?! You could stay here! With us!" Says Sakura with tears brimming at the corners of her eyes.

"You teme! Look what you've done!" Yells Naruto.

"I want to do this." Says Sasuke. He hates the fact that he is making Sakura cry, but he has to let them understand.

"Why?" Whispers Sakura.

"Because I don't want to be left behind." At the confused looks on his teammates faces, he elaborates, "You two are training under legendary sennin, you will get stronger, but I won't. I would have to stop at a limit, but you two don't."

When he puts it that way, Sakura understands, but she doesn't like it. Not one bit. And it shows in her eyes. She has never been one for hiding her emotions or thoughts. But Naruto still looks like he doesn't get it.

"We can't have the dead last beating the rookie of the year, now can we?" Says Sasuke with a pointed look in Naruto's direction.

And just like that, a light bulb turns on in Naruto's head and he gets it. Sasuke doesn't want to stay behind in his abilities. He wants to be strong just like the rest of the team.

Naruto nods and Sakura averts her eyes in defeat. She can't do anything to stop him.

"Then it's settled." Says Hiruzen, "Uchiha Sasuke, you are to go on an S-classed mission to Orochimaru's hideout, train under him, and when you deem yourself strong enough, you are to send us a message of your location and we will send backup to assassinate him. And you are to find out how to remove that cursed mark from your neck." He turns to Sakura, "I know this is hard for you to understand, Sakura-chan, but Orochimaru is a powerful shinobi and his skill must not go to waste." Sakura nods with her head still down. He sighs but then continues, "Sasuke, you are going to go with Inoichi to have him build a barrier in your mind so the seal doesn't cause you madness. You leave after ten days at dawn."

Sasuke nods.

"Dismissed." Says Hiruzen.

Before anybody could blink, Sakura is out the door and running towards the Hyuuga compound.

She couldn't take it.

First her mother.

Then her father.

And now Sasuke.

She graduated last year and got to be on a team with Naruto and Sasuke, just like they always wanted. They were happy with the way life was going; even with what happened on their C-ranked-turn-A-ranked mission, they were happy.

But then came the chunnin exams, and that's where everything went downhill.

Orochimaru bit Sasuke in the forest of death. They couldn't do anything to help because he was simply too powerful.

Then, in the third round, she didn't even get to fight her opponent. Sound and Sand attacked them.

They held up pretty well, but there were some causalities.

Her parents were from those causalities.

From what she could tell in the haze that filled her mind when she found out, was that her mother had been attacked, and Kizashi was there in time to help her. Everything was going fine. That is until a shinobi from Sound sneaked up on her mother and stabbed her from behind. She dropped unconscious but Kizashi thought she was dead. In his rage he tried killing everybody in his path by using a jutsu that she doesn't know of. He got what he wanted, but one of the enemies managed to throw a last ditch attack to take Kizashi down with him.

Kizashi went into a coma, and soon Mebuki died from blood loss.

Sakura had been staying at the Hyuuga compound ever since.

It was a hard hit for the kids. They were all attached to the couple, and they considered them as second parents, and some of them considered them the first. Naruto was devastated.

But that is nothing compared to Sakura. She was _beyond_ devastated. Neji had to 'kidnap' her from the hospital room her father was staying in, in order to have her bathe and eat.

That was about two months ago. Now she is either in the hospital, or sticks to Neji like glue. Not that Neji minds. In all honesty, he prefers it this way. He is able to keep his eye on her. He was also crushed by what has happened.

The Haruno's _were_ the main factor in his comforting life and family relations' mending.

He just hopes that Kizashi pulls through. If he doesn't, he wouldn't know what Sakura would do. Heck, he wouldn't know what _he_ would do.

Kizashi _is_ the closest he's had to a father after Hizashi.

…

Sasuke and Naruto make to run after the girl, but Itachi stops them.

"Let us go!" Yells Naruto.

"Nii-san!" Says Sasuke.

"She needs time. Let her come to terms with what's going on around her and then talk to her."

At the pained looks on their faces, he sighs, "I'll take you to the Hyuuga's after dinner. Good enough?"

The boys nod reluctantly.

Sensing that the grownups have something to discuss, Itachi says, "Why don't we go get Shisui and have some ramen?"

And just like that they're out the door with Naruto cheering for ramen, and Sasuke sulking.

…

Neji was in his room, reading a book, when Sakura nearly broke his door off its hinges, came in and slammed the door with all her might.

Neji looked at her. She was standing with her back to him. Her shoulders were shaking and her hands were balled into fists.

Putting the book down, Neji got up and approached her.

"Hime?"

Sakura smiled a tiny smile at the nickname. It's been almost 7 years since he first called her that. And he still does.

Feeling his hands on her shoulders, about to turn her around, she whirls around and smashes herself in his chest, with a force that almost knocks him off his feet. Neji stands his ground and brings his arms around her while she cries her heart out. Alarmed he asks, "Is it Kizashi-san?"

Sakura shakes her head and feels Neji sag in relief in her arms.

It's okay. Whatever it is he could help her through. Anything _but_ Kizashi's death.

He rubs soothing circles on her back as he guides her to his bed. He sits down and pulls her onto his lap and she buries her head in the crook of his neck and bunches up the front off his shirt and sobs even harder. Neji begins to rock back and forth till her heart wrenching sobs subsided to quiet sniffles. That's when he decides to ask, "What happened, Hime?"

And so Sakura began telling him about Sasuke's mission. She was mostly blabbering and a lot of her words weren't understandable to most people, but Neji's had experience making out her words from the past two months, since she wakes up almost every night with nightmares. She had the room down the hall, and she used to come into his room when it happens. When Hiashi found them out sleeping in Neji's room on more than one occasion, he told her to stop, as it is inappropriate. That's when Neji started to sneak into her room at night. Hiashi, seeing that it's no use separating them, and that Sakura needs Neji by her side, gave up. And being the devious shinobi that he is, Neji moved Sakura's belongings into his room. So now it was _their _room.

As Neji listened to her talking he got angrier by the second. How dare that Uchiha do that to her? He knows how it will affect her. They all decided to stay by her side since her mother passed away, and just as she was starting to accept the idea of healing, the brat does something like that!

Never mind that Naruto is going on a training trip with Jiraya. Everybody understands that he is in danger because of the Kyuubi, Sakura even encouraged the thought because she saw the Akatsuki when they came for Naruto. She wants him safe. But this with Sasuke is different. He is throwing his self into danger. If it was an ordinary training trip she wouldn't be hurt so bad, but going to Orochimaru with the knowledge that he wants Sasuke's body is just too much for her to handle.

Neji tightens his hold on her but doesn't say anything even when she stops talking. She cries for another half hour with Neji tucking her under his chin and rocking her back and forth.

When she stops crying he bends so his mouth is at her ear, "Don't worry, Hime. It's going to be okay," He says as he rubs her back and arms, "It's going to be alright. He has the Hokage, the future Hokage and sennin, another sennin and the eternity of the Uchiha _and_ the Hyuuga clans to support him. If anything happens to him we will all go and help him. Okay?"

Sakura nods against his chest but still doesn't raise her head to look at him.

"And I'll make sure to mope the ground with him before he leaves." Says Neji with a smirk.

At this Sakura raises her head to look at him. His eyes soften when he sees her swollen eyes, red puffy cheeks and tear streaked face. He leans in and starts kissing the trail of tears from her left jaw line till her eye, while holding her in place by her neck. He could feel her pulse quicken beneath his fingers, or maybe it's just his pulse that he's feeling. They've never done anything like this before.

Sure they kissed each other on the cheeks numerous times, but this feels more intimate than anything they've ever done.

He reaches her left eye and she closes both of them. He tenderly kisses her left eye and then trails kisses across her adorable forehead, and reaches her right eye. Kissing it he makes his eyes down to her right jaw line. Then he backs about an inch from her and hovers above her mouth. Should he do it? Is it okay?

Sakura opens her eyes when he backs away, and looks at his eyes as he looks at her mouth. She knows him enough to know that he doesn't want to force her, and he doesn't want to take advantage of her.

She smiles invitingly at him, and that's all he needs.

He kisses her lips chastely at first. It _is_ both of their first kisses, and they don't really know exactly what to do. But they read enough romance novels to make it a good memory.

They start moving their lips slowly against each other, until Neji bites Sakura's lower lip and she gasps.

"Ahem."

He hesitantly sends his tongue into her mouth. Sakura brings her own tongue out shyly to meet his.

"Ahem."

Neji angles her head to have more access, and brings Sakura closer to him.

"Uuuh .. Guys?"

Sakura brings her arms around Neji's neck.

A whistle.

And just like that the two separate from their kiss but stay in each other's arms. They turn to look at their intruders, to see Shisui and Itachi standing near the window.

Shisui has a big stupid grin on his face, and he was the one who whistled. Itachi was standing next to him with his arms crossed, an eyebrow raised and a throbbing vein on his forehead.

Sakura's face turns as red as a tomato when she comprehends that her brother figure and her sensei caught her practically making out with her boyfriend.

Neji on the other hand, merely raises an eyebrow in challenge to the Uchiha's.

"I would appreciate it if you refrain from doing such things with my sister until you two are wed at least." Says an aggravated Itachi.

"And _I_ would appreciate it if you enter from the door and knock on it _before_ entering. And I would also appreciate it if you don't butt in my business." Says Neji.

Although he doesn't show it, Neji is embarrassed at being caught, but is too prideful to back down.

Itachi, seeing this, and being the older of the two turns to Sakura and says, "We are here to talk about Sasuke, Sakura."

"Yeah, we're here to talk about the brat, Sakura-chan! But that doesn't mean that you can just sit on your boyfriends lap and not give me my hug!" Says Shisui as he opens his arms for her.

Bless his soul. He always knows how to defuse the tension in the room no matter what the occasion is.

Looking apologetically at Neji, Sakura gets up from his bed and rushes into Shisui's arms and the latter picks her up and spins her around.

Both of the stoic males' looks soften at the laugh that escape Sakura's mouth. It's so happy and full of life, and it's been a long time since they last heard her laugh like that, or laugh at all for that matter. Three months. They haven't seen her a lot during the month of training since Neji was training with the clan, and Itachi was busy with training Sasuke along with Kakashi. They both saw her on occasions, but Shisui was the one that stuck to her like glue. He was her teacher for that duration when Tsunade wasn't able to train her. And she needed speed to counter Douso's sound waves. And who better than Shisui of the body flicker?

And after that, her parents' accident happened. They have barely seen her smile. It was really heartwarming to see and hear her laugh.

Then Shisui sets her down at turned her to face Itachi, who crouched to be at her eye level. He was way taller than her, but she didn't mind. She loves it when he puts his hand on her head and talks to her like the first time he saw her when she was a kid.

"Sakura. You know how the boys are competitive. Naruto is going to train with Jiraya. You are already training with Tsunade and you're about to surpass her. Sasuke wants to be like you guys too. Do you understand?" Says Itachi in that brotherly tone of voice that he uses only with Sakura. Sasuke would kill him if he talks like that with him.

"Well, yeah. But it's still dangerous with that snake! What if something happens to him! What if Orochimaru finds out and kills him? What if Sasuke likes it there and doesn't want to come back when it's time? What if Orochimaru poses Sasuke's body before we could get to him and it's too late! What if …"

Seeing the tears at the corners of her eyes, Itachi cuts her off by saying, "Don't worry your pretty little head over Sasuke's safety. I _am_ his brother after all. You know that I won't let anything happen to him, right?"

"I know, Tachi. But … what are you planning to do?"

"Well, your father showed me something that only Haruno's could do. He said to teach it to you and use it if the situation requires it and he wasn't around to teach it to you." Says Itachi.

Sakura eyes him suspiciously before nodding and asking what it was.

"It's a seal." At Sakura's confused look, he explains, "This seal is done by swapping a little amount of blood and chakra between you and, let's say, Sasuke. A shape appears on Sasuke's skin, and if he is in danger, he sends a small amount of chakra to the seal which makes the exact same seal on your skin alert you that he is in danger. From what I understood, you will be able to pinpoint his exact location. And if you have something to send to him, you could send chakra through your seal, and he'll get the message. If you both do it at the same time, you could talk to each other while meditating."

Sakura doesn't hesitate to ask, "When will you teach me?"

Itachi smiles gently at her, "And I know that you're thinking about giving Naruto a seal, too. After you talk to Sasuke and Naruto I'll teach you."

"Yeah," Says Shisui. "They were pretty put down when we left them with our clones."

"And I bet that they are even angrier, now that they found out that they have been with our clones all this time." Says Itachi as he rises from his position and ruffles Sakura's hair.

Sakura turns to look at Neji and gives him an unsure smile. Neji nods at her and gives her a reassuring smile in return. Sakura sighs. "Hai. Let's go."

…

They find Sasuke and Naruto at Ichikaru ramen. No surprise there. Sasuke is the first to see her. "Sakura!"

Naruto lifts his head from his fifth bowl of ramen, "Sakura-chan!"

She smiles a bit and Naruto really looks at her. He notices the puffiness and the crying effects.

Shisui, Itachi and Neji decided to stay outside and give the team some privacy. But that didn't last long when Sasuke came flying from the ramen stand and onto the street. A few second later saw Sakura pulling back an angry Naruto.

"Naruto! What's wrong with you! Stop it!" Says Sakura.

"But the teme made you cry!" Yells Naruto as he balls his fist in front of Sasuke.

Sakura looks at the three guys standing at the side for help. Neji shakes his head at her in his silent way to tell her that she has to solve this on her own.

Itachi and Shisui look at her fascinated as she does just that. She knocks Naruto on the head and starts yelling at him for starting a fight with a comrade, all the while Naruto has his head bowed, his hands stuffed into his pockets and nodding his head submissively and comically so Sakura doesn't hurt him again.

"And YOU!" Says Sakura as she whirls on Sasuke who has by now gotten up from the ground and was looking rather stoically at Sakura. But it was really hard for her to take him seriously with his cheek swollen, red and puffy.

Sakura smacks him on the back of his head and proceeds to scold him about leaving friends behind.

"I'm already worried about you two when you're still in the village. What will I do when you're both gone?" Says Sakura as tears gather in her eyes again.

Good thing that Itachi and Shisui put up a concealing Genjutsu to keep the conversation private without the civilians hearing or seeing them. They are too used to the loudness of team seven to make the mistake of leaving them to their own devices.

"What if one of you never comes back to me?" Says Sakura as her lower lip trembles.

Naruto is the first to pull her into a hug and start frantically comforting her. "Don't worry Sakura-chan! We'll be fine! Don't cry! Please! We'll be okay! We are badass like that!"

"But I won't be there to heal you if something happens to either of you!" Says Sakura as she sniffs.

Sasuke looks at her with a softened look. Now he gets what this is about. She wasn't there for her parents. She fears that they will die or become comatose if she isn't there to heal them.

In a un-Sasuke like gesture he pulls Sakura from Naruto's arms and hugs her. Sakura holds him close to her despite the fact that she could feel Neji burning holes in Sasuke's skull.

"We will be fine, Sakura. I promise to use the seal whenever I feel like I'm in danger. And the dobe has Jiraya-sama and the Kyuubi to take care of him. We aren't little kids anymore. We appreciate you babying us, but you're going to have to pause for a couple of years and focus on those three instead." Says Sasuke.

"Promise you'll be okay?"

"Yes."

"Promise that you'll come back?"

"Yes."

"Pinky promise?" Asks Sakura innocently as she holds up her pinky finger and sniffs cutely at him.

Sasuke holds up his pinky and says, "Pinky promise." And they shake fingers.

Naruto snickers behind his hand at Sasuke, but he shuts up when Sakura turns to him and holds out her pinky for him too.

"You too, Naruto."

Naruto looks at Sasuke's smug face and scowls. But he gives in to Sakura and promises her, "It's a promise of a life time, Sakura-chan!" Yells Naruto.

Sakura hugs them both, each with one arm. Itachi hopes that the kids, especially Sakura, keep their innocence for as long as possible. But for now, they have something to do.

"Hey kids." At their glares he says, "Let's go find what Shisui is up to."

Looking around, they find that Shisui has escaped undetected. They all look at each other mischievously.

…

It doesn't take them long to find Shisui with Neji's Byakugan. He is in one of the forests surrounding the training grounds.

They go running there. Neji and Itachi stop a few feet away from where Shisui is 'hiding'. They glance at each other, but before they could shout a warning to the three Gennin, they hear Naruto's voice, "HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KIBA'S SISTER?! AND WHY THE HELL IS YOUR TONGUE IN HER THROAT!"

…

After the embarrassing episode in the forest, they leave Shisui with his red-faced girlfriend, and go to the Hyuuga compound.

They have dinner there, which isn't very weird. But the weird thing that had Hiashi, Itachi, Neji and Sakura stunned beyond words, is that Sasuke seems like he wants to spend as much time as he could with Hinata.

When it clicks that he likes her, and that she isn't doing anything to stop his advances, she actually looks happy about it, they have different reactions.

Sakura is ecstatic that Sasuke finally likes somebody, and that said somebody wasn't ever a fan-girl of his.

Hiashi keeps his eye on the Uchiha. Hinata _is_ his daughter after all. But he doesn't interfere because he sees how happy she looks. Maybe this will be good for both clans?

Itachi is surprised that his little brother didn't tell him. He's going to tell Sizume about this. Although Sizume was engaged to him at birth, he grew to love her. She is going to sequel his ears off when she hears that 'her adorable little Sasu-kun' has a crush on Hyuuga Hinata.

Neji narrows his eyes and glares at Sasuke. He doesn't like this one bit. He turns to see the others reactions; Naruto is oblivious as always, Hiashi looks guarded, Itachi looks surprised, Sakura looks like she's the happiest person on earth.

He couldn't take that from her after what she went through today. That, coupled with Hiashi's warning glance, stops him from sitting between the two mushy couple. Instead he loops his arm around Sakura's shoulders, and she tucks her head under his chin while still looking at Sasuke and Hinata.

"Aren't they cute together?" Whispers Sakura.

"Very." Responds Neji dryly.

Sakura giggles. Then, "Don't be like that, Neji-kun." She says while smacking his chest playfully.

He holds the spot and says dramatically, "You hurt me deeply, Hime."

"Oh, hush, you big baby." Giggles Sakura at his expense. Then she leans up and kisses him softly on the check.

Just then an ANBU with the mask of a dog appears in a puff of smoke.

"Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Neji, the Hokage wishes to see you two in his office first thing tomorrow morning."

At their nods, he bows respectfully to the Hyuuga clan head, and then takes his leave in the same way he came.

Hiashi smirks.

Neji and Sakura look at each other thinking the same thing.

'_What could he want?'_

…

Hiruzen spoke without looking up from his work, "You told them?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Said the ANBU operative.

"Then you saw her."

"Hai."

"Then I assume you are ready to go on your mission?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Very well. Haruno Kizashi, you are to set out and look for your wife, Haruno Mebuki, and you are not to come back without her. You are to send me monthly updates on your progress and location."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. But please take care of her."

Hiruzen's voice softens, "I promise you that I will, and so does Hiashi. I know that it is hard for you to keep your daughter in the dark, but it is better this way. You can look for your wife as long as you like without having her worrying about you. Our top priority is to find Mebuki. If whoever has her knows about her bloodline, Konoha will be in grave danger."

"Hai, Hokage-sama. I'll set out at dawn."

"Very well, then. Dismissed." And with that the ANBU disappeared.

…

**A/N: Well, that was long :P**

**I want to respond to some of your reviews before ending this chapter:**

**Sakura Hatsu: It's my honor to be your idol. *Blushes bashfully***

**TheProdigy'sWife14:****You have a couple of NejiSaku fics that I love, and they are actually two of the four first fictions that made me fall in love with this pairing. And although it's been about a year since I read them, I still remember them clearly and I thank you for writing these fics. And about Ino and the others, they will still be the Konoha 12, so I wanted to make sure that their friendships are clear. Also, the clan heads came over to see Sakura since she is Kizashi's girl, and Neji's girlfriend-to-be, so they bring the kids with them.**

**Guest: I actually forgot about Shisui's involvement in the massacre. But it isn't really the center of this fic, so I wasn't going to delve into those specifics anyways.**

**Guest: My first language is Arabic****. And I'm going to have to politely reject your suggestion. I really don't want it to be an ItaSaku, although I'm thinking about writing one when I'm done with this ;)**

**And because a lot of you keep pressing for romance, and I really don't want to write about that while they're young, I had to do a time skip over the details that I don't want to change much about. So all the other events, like their graduation, the mission with Tazuna and the chunnin exams, are basically the same, except for Hiruzen, who stays alive because both Jiraya and Tsunade were there with him. But Orochimaru **_**does**_** loose his arms. **

**Tell me what you think.**

**Zee **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Numbers.**

1

It took Shikamaru **one** minute, a _whole_ minute, to actually comprehend what the newly appointed Godaime had just said.

He, along with Neji and Sakura, were just promoted to Chunnin.

"But, Shisou, I didn't even get to _have_ my match in the final round! How could _I _be promoted and the ones who actually fought, don't?"

"That's because I'm your teacher, and so is that pervert standing in the corner," Insert glare at said pervert, "And we both deem you ready to be Chunnin, and well on your way to train for the Jonnin exams, too. But we're going to wait for that until you deem yourself ready."

Needless to say that Konoha had three beaming idiots with Chunnin vests celebrating around the village.

2

It took Shisui **two** hours to find Sakura and Neji, and what he found, though it was payback, disturbed him greatly.

Making out in the woods should be banned for everyone's sake.

After having the couple awkwardly separate from each other he announced, "Sasuke has left. Tsunade-sama has requested Neji to go on the fake mission to retrieve him.

Sakura spent the night crying in Neji's arms. Not that he was complaining. He loved it when she relied on him. But he also hated it when she cried. Although she _did_ look cute with a red nose.

He got a bruise on his chest when he told her.

3

It took the assurance of **three** of her most trusted people, for her to believe that Neji and Naruto were going to be fine, and come back alive from this mission: Tsunade, Kakashi, and as hard as it was to believe, Shikamaru.

Yes, she trusted Shikamaru because he was a genius and because he would always look after her in class should the need arise (a.k.a: when Neji wasn't around and Sasuke and Naruto were beating the crap out of each other).

4

It had been **four** days since the retrieval team came back, and Sakura hasn't left Neji's unconscious form ever since. She slept by his side, holding his hand. As if it would ground him to her.

She knows that he isn't in critical condition, but she just doesn't want to risk it.

Kakashi, Tsunade and Hiruzen couldn't do anything to make her leave. It had been Neji who got her to leave her 'fathers' side, and now Neji was in no state to have her get away from anything, much less his own side.

5

It took Neji **five** seconds to realize what the weight on his chest was, and it took him just as much to haul up the body attached to the head resting on his stomach next to him, so he could snuggle in the warmth of her body.

He missed her dearly on that mission, and he knew for a fact that she had stayed by his side, if the numbness in his hand had anything to say about it.

He was so grateful for her being in his life.

She stirred, "Neji-kun?"

"I'm here, Hime."

She smiled, "Happy sixteenth birthday."

It was his turn to smile. Of course she wouldn't forget.

6

It took Neji **six** months to become a Jonnin, and it was that night that Sakura decided to start training for her exam, too.

She became a Jonnin three month after Neji, and the Hyuuga rubbed it in the face of the Uchiha for months.

The kids would sigh when the subject was brought up, and shake their heads. At least they were somewhat friendly jabs. No real hostility came from behind them.

What agitated the Uchiha even more was when the Godaime announced that Sakura has surpassed her and would be heading the hospital.

7

It was the number **seven** that tied her with her teammates. So she would light a lantern with the number seven on it, and release it every full moon, with Kakashi-sensei at her side, in hope of guiding her loved ones back to their home.

It was a private affair that not even Neji dared to intrude on.

8

It took Neji **eight **days to get back together with Sakura after their first real fight as an officially dating couple.

The fight involved Neji, a fangirl, a kiss and some petting.

Needless to say that it took Sakura a lot more than eight punches to the girls gut before she started the fight with Neji, and stomped off to her parents' house for the first time since _the accident_.

It took him two days to find her, and he wouldn't have been able to, if it wasn't for Shisui and Itachi, who were about to kill him for what he had done to her. He was in the wrong when he started yelling back at her, and when he left her to 'go let out some steam' as he dubbed it. And the other six days were spent trying to calm her down enough for him to even go near her.

"Why do you want to even come near _me_? You could go find that … that _thing_ and go close to her!"

"But I love you! I don't even know who she is!"

Those were the longest six days of his life. He shuddered when he thought about what Naruto and Sasuke would do should they find out.

9

It took her **nine** minutes to get out of her shower, get dressed and be at the gates when Neji had knocked on her door and told her that Naruto came back from his travels.

They hugged the living daylights out of each other, much to Neji's annoyance, and when they pulled back Naruto started laughing.

"What is it Naruto? What's so funny?"

"Nothing, I just never thought that you would grow like normal women do. I always took you for a tomboy more than anything." Said Naruto as he tried to stifle his laughter behind his hand.

He found two fists in his face, courtesy of Neji and Sakura.

Everyone was surprised by Ino, who stomped forward to the sixteen year old young man, bunched up his shirt and yanked him down to meet her lips.

Among all the surprise, no one noticed a white haired pervert, pulling out his note pad and begin taking notes. No one except the copy-nin, of course.

Kakashi grinned underneath his mask. His favorite book series was going to have another book soon.

10

I had to take out **ten** chapters out of this fic because you guys kept insisting on going into depth about Neji and Sakura's relationship.

I would like to inform you that I won't be updating as frequently as before, because I'm currently working on my graduation project, and it's taking a lot of my time.

This is just a little something to keep the story going, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Till next time,

Zee


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Change of view.**

Sakura sat in the middle of the training field, with Neji in front of her. They both started meditating.

Neji was doing it because it was a way to further expand his Byakugan. It kept his head clear and his body calm. Sakura, on the other hand, was having a headache.

She started meditating because she could feel Sasuke send some of his chakra to the feather shaped seal on his right shoulder. She sent some chakra to the identical shape on her left shoulder, to alert Naruto, so he could join, if he wanted to, or had the time.

And, of course, Naruto had the time, and even if he didn't, he would _make_ time. And so, naturally, the two of them started bickering like the kids that they were.

"Shut _up_! Both of you!" Said an aggravated Sakura.

"But the teme just said …"

"I don't care what Sasuke said, Naruto. It's been a long time since we've spoken to each other and I'm not spending it getting a headache from the two of you!"

After that the two boys calmed down enough to have a civil conversation.

"Shut up, teme!"

"Hn. Dobe."

Well, as civil as those two could get.

Sakura opened her eyes when she was finished talking to the boys, and looked at Neji, who was still meditating. She loved it when he meditated. He looked so calm and, dare she say it, cute. He wasn't frowning nor did he have that haughty smirk that she loved so much. His face was blank with a hint of softness in it.

Sakura walked on her knees till she was able to sit behind him, and undid the hair tie that had his hair pulled together, and undid his head band. She then started running her fingers in his hair. He loved what she was doing to him, not that he would ever tell her that. But she knew. She knew from the way his face lost the little hint of concentration in it and he leaned back against her a little.

But what always gave him away, was when she reached his scalp, and started rubbing his scalp from the outside in **(A/N: This is actually good for your hair. It's even better if you apply and rinse soap out of your hair this way. Just saying. :P) **That was when he started purring and leaning into her touch. If there was any tension in his body, it always left at this point.

God, this made him want to do a lot of things to her, but they agreed to wait till their wedding. But that didn't mean that they didn't make out.

He was brought out of his blissful state when his girlfriends' hands slipped out of his hair, around his neck, down to his chest, and she hugged him tightly to her chest.

"I have to go to see Shisou. Sasuke wants me to tell her something." Whispered Sakura in his ear, while he stroked her arm with his hand.

He opened his eyes and with a grunt, stood up. When Sakura realized that he was going to stand up, she tightened her hold on him. When Neji was at his full height, Sakura's feet were dangling in the air, and her laugh was the most beautiful thing he's ever heard.

He had no idea why, but it seemed that Sakura enjoyed the difference between their heights greatly. At the age of 17, Neji was a good head taller than her.

Indulging in a little fun, Neji brought his arms behind him and hauled her up so she would be riding his back. Sakura squealed in laughter and delight. At times like this, he remembered how everything was when they were younger. When they would be at her house…

He decided not to go down that line of thought and concentrate on navigating the trees in front of him till he reached the end of the training grounds and the beginning of the village.

Sakura hopped down, and started running towards the Hokage tower. "Race you there, Neji-kun!"

Like always, he did what she wanted. And like always, he let her win. And like always, she pouted at him for going easy on her. And like always, her wrapped a hand around her waist and kissed her temple. And like always, she beamed at him.

When they reached Tsunade's office, she was attempting to hide a bottle of sake, and failing miserably.

After an awkward pause, Tsunade cleared her throat, and asked them, "What are you two doing here?"

"I just talked with Sasuke."

_That_ got the sennin's attention. "What did he say?"

"He said that we should be getting ready. In a years' time, Orochimaru is going to try and take over Sasuke's body. Sasuke said that we should strike a couple of days before that, since Orochimaru's body will be the weakest then."

Tsunade nodded to the both of them. "Very well. We are going to have to start planning from now, then. Shizune!"

After a few seconds, Shizune poked her head through the door. "Hai Tsunade-sama?"

"Get me Nara Shikamaru and Shikaku, Hatake Kakashi, Hyuuga Hiashi and Uchiha Fugaku. Tell them to be here tomorrow 8 a.m. sharp. Tell Kakashi it's about Sasuke so he doesn't be late."

"Hai!" Said Shizune as she left the office to do as told.

Tsunade then turned to the couple in front of her and said, "You two be here as well."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." They said in unison as they left.

Some people thought it was creepy how those two thought in sync, but she thought it was cute. Sakura deserved to be happy.

Now, Sakura and her love life aside. Where did she put that sake?

…

They were walking calmly through the village. Hand in hand, heading back to the training grounds when they heard a feminine voice calling out.

"Neji-kun! Wait up!"

Sakura didn't like the undertone that this girl sported, even before she saw who she was. It just spelled trouble.

Turning to the voice, the couple was met with Tenten, Neji's teammate.

"Hai, Tenten-san. What do you need?"

Neji knew that Tenten wasn't up to any good from the tone of her voice. The glint in her eye just confirmed it.

"I was wondering if you would like to go out with me tonight." Said Tenten said as she boldly laid her hand on Neji's chest and had her body flush against his.

Sakura was livid. Ever since that girl a year ago she has been very sensitive about any girl being around Neji. And now this was a girl that he had to deal with on a regular basis.

Neji just _knew _that this wasn't going to end in a good way. And when Sakura's hold tightened on his hand, his fears were confirmed. He better act quickly.

"Tenten-san, I would appreciate it if you remove yourself from my person before I do it for you." Said Neji, leaving no room for argument.

But apparently Tenten had left her brain at home that day.

"Now why would I do that, Neji-kun? We've been dating for _ages_ now, and I think that your little playmate should know. And so should all of Konoha."

Something wasn't right. Last he knew Tenten was seeing somebody. And although she tried hiding it from everyone, he could tell.

Before he could think of anything, he found the weight on his chest forcefully removed by his petite girlfriend.

"You liar!" Said Sakura as her first was stretched in front of her. Apparently she had just punched his teammate.

Looking at said teammate, he found a cloud of smoke surrounding her. When the smoke cleared, the girl that had them fighting the first time appeared.

"You!" growled Neji.

"Oh, you remember me Neji-kun? That isn't surprising since I'm just fabulous that way. But the question is: _How_ did _that_ little girl know?"

"I knew because Tenten's my friend! She would never do what you just did!" Yelled Sakura.

The girl, Amy, ignored her, and leaned again on Neji and said, "How about you ditch this little girl and come with me for some grown up fun? Hmm?"

Sakura was absolutely livid. This had to stop before she killed the woman, not that he cared about her. He just didn't want his girlfriend in jail.

"If you don't remove yourself from me within the next five seconds I will kaiten you to next week, and then have you jailed for the rest of your life for harassing a clan heir and impersonating a fellow shinobi for personal reasons." Said Neji with authority.

When the girl didn't budge, he was preparing himself to use his clans' signature jutsu on her when Tenten – the real one this time – showed up.

"Oh _I'll_ be getting rid of that _disgusting_ **thing** for you, Neji-_kun_." Said a furious Tenten.

Tenten came nearer and pushed through the crowd that had gathered around to watch. Oddly enough, Kiba was behind her looking even more furious than she did.

"Tenten!" Said Sakura.

"Wait a second Sakura. I've got someone's ass to kick." Said Tenten as she yanked the girl from Neji by her hair.

"How _dare_ you impersonate **me**! And then act like a slut, no less!"

Kiba looked quite proud about Tenten kicking the girl, who was wailing on the ground.

"My hair! My hair! Let it go!" Cried Amy.

At this, Tenten got a glint in her eyes that didn't spell any good.

"Oh? Your hair? You don't like it when I do this?" she said as she yanked on Amy's hair. "Or this?" Yank.

"How about this?" Yank. Yank.

"Stop it! Stop!" By now Amy was sobbing.

"What a pathetic excuse for a shinobi! You can't even take someone yanking your hair? You should be tortured! Next time you have a _brilliant_ idea like this, . LOCKED. UP. IN. YOUR. HEAD! Because what you just did warrants a punishment _much_ worse than a little hair yanking." She finished her rant with a sharp yank at Amy's hair.

Amy whimpered. "My hair." Then she started sobbing.

"Oh, I'll show you hair!" Yelled Tenten as she pulled out a kunai from her back pocket.

"Umm, Tenny. I don't think you should do that." Said Kiba while looking around at the people. Neji was quite shocked to see this violent part of his teammate. Sure she was tomboyish, and she loved weapons, and…. Oh forget it. He shouldn't be surprised at all.

Sakura looked like she couldn't decide whether to let Tenten take care of maiming the girl, or taking over herself. He could tell by the way she would lean forward, as if she was going to take a step forward, then go back. And by how her fists kept clenching an unclenching.

The crowd looked like they would take out cameras any second now, but are too afraid to do so with two angry konoichi in the area.

"You either help me or shut up, Kiba! She just acted like a slut when she was disguised as _me_, your girlfriend! Aren't you even a _little_ angry?" Said Tenten.

Neji looked at Sakura to see if she knew anything about _that_ little information, but she didn't seem surprised. He should have known that the girls told each other everything.

Sakura was looking at Amy with a weird look on her face.

Neji looked back to Tenten.

She looked torn between angry and sad.

Before Kiba could answer her, Amy spoke up, "Of course he isn't. Why? That's because you _are_ a slut." Sneered Amy.

"Why you little …"

Before Tenten could finish, Kiba said, "Do it, Tenten."

Tenten stared at him for a few seconds, before a large devilish grin spread across her face. She yanked Amy's hair again.

"My hair, you bitch! Let go of my beautiful hair! Neji-kun loves long hair! You're ruining my hair!"

"Oh, I'll let go alright. I'll let go for good." Said Tenten with a feral grin on her face.

She raised her kunai and slashed through Amy's hair from the bottom up.

Amy couldn't believe what happened. She stared wide-eyed in front of her as strands of hair fell to the ground.

"This is what you care about so much?" Sneered Tenten while waving the batch of black hair in front of the shocked girl. "Well, now that you have a butcher cut hairstyle, 'Neji-kun' won't even look at you. So … GET. LOST." Said Tenten as she threw the girls hair in her face.

Tenten turned around to talk to Sakura, only to find her running away with Neji hot on her tail. "Sakura, wait!"

Kiba grabbed her arm before she could move to catch up to her friend. "She said that she needs to vent. Let Neji take care of it. You could go see her later."

Tenten looked after them, and then said a little sadly, "Okay."

Kiba kissed her on the forehead and pulled her away.

**...**

"Sakura wait!"

Nothing.

"Sakura!"

Nothing.

He caught up to her and spun her around and slammed her back to a tree, "I said wait!" Yelled Neji in anger.

His eyes softened a bit when he saw her tear stricken face.

"What's wrong, Hime?" He asked as he stroked her face gently, wiping her tears in the process.

"I remember her." Sakura managed to choke out.

"Yes. She's the same one from last time. Is she not?" Asked a slightly confused Neji.

"Yeah she is. And I told you that I remember her from somewhere else but I couldn't put my finger on it. Remember?"

At his nod she continued, "Well, she was one of my bullies back before we met."

At this Neji's eyes widened then narrowed.

"She was the 'boss'. She's been tormenting me ever since. Even after we became friends. She would always try to do something or the other but the boys or Shikamaru would stop her. I .. I .."

By now she was sobbing and Neji had pulled her into his arms and started stroking her hair gently. She quieted after a few seconds, and he could _feel_ the anger rolling off of her in waves.

"I hate her _so_ much." She said it so quietly that he got the chills.

He pulled her back at arms' length to reprimand her gently. What he saw had his jaw dropping.

"What is it, Neji-kun?" Asked Sakura, slightly worried with how his mouth was opened.

He began searching her pockets.

"What are you doing Neji-kun!?"

"Here it is!" Neji held up the mirror that she always kept with her.

When she looked at him as if he grew another head, he said, "Take a look."

Sakura did as told. But something was wrong with her reflection. Her eyes were different. They were…

"Like a sharingan, but white." Mused Neji.

"Oh my God! What are we going to do?! Neji!" She was terrified, that much Neji could tell.

"Calm down, Hime."

"What do you _mean_ 'calm down'?! What's happening to me?" Sakura asked with a trembling lip.

Neji hugged her and said, "It's okay. It's going to be okay. Close your eyes and I'll carry you to Hokage-sama's office."

Sakura nodded meekly and closed her eyes. She wrapped her hands around her boyfriends' neck when she felt his hand under her knees.

When they entered through the window, Kakashi and Hiruzen were already there, and Tsunade was about to throw a bottle of sake at them for entering through the window, but stopped when she saw Neji carrying a trembling Sakura.

"What's going on?" She asked the couple.

Neji placed her down but she clung to him. "Sakura, you have to show them."

"No, no, no, no, no!" She said while shaking her head.

"Sakura! What's the meaning of this?!" Yelled Tsunade.

"Hime, it's okay." Neji tried to sooth her to no avail.

"No! They're going to think I'm a freak!"

Kakashi frowned at her. Ever since her parents' accident he's been taking care of her as if she was his own daughter. And he didn't like what was happening.

"Sakura-chan." Called Hiruzen.

"NO!" She said as she clutched Neji's shirt even more.

"Haruno Sakura." Said Kakashi in his 'Captain' voice, as Naruto called it.

Sakura stiffened.

Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder and said, "I assure you that nobody here will think about you as a freak."

"You promise?" She said in a small voice and Kakashi's heart softened. At times like this, he remembered how fragile his student actually was. Sure she was able to bring down a mountain with a finger, but she was still a little girl, scared of rejection, on the inside.

"You have my word as a shinobi."

At this she relaxed a little and turned around, but still kept her back glued to Neji and her eyes glued shut.

"Open your eyes Sakura-chan." Said Kakashi.

And she did, painfully slow, till her eyes were fully open.

At that point three thumps were heard.

Tsunade had dropped her bottle of sake, Hiruzen's pipe slipped from his lips and Kakashi's porn slipped to the floor.

"You promised." Whimpered Sakura.

"I… I don't think you're a freak, Sakura-chan. It's just … that … it has been a very long time since we last saw one of those." Said a shocked Kakashi.

"Indeed, it has been. Since your uncle became a hero."

That was a well known term in the ninja world. It meant that the person died in combat.

"But I've never had an uncle." Said Sakura, scrunching her nose cutely.

"Yes, you had. He was killed before you were even born. Actually, now that I think about it, his death is what brought your parents together." Said Hiruzen.

"I don't get it." Said Sakura.

Hiruzen settled on the couch with his pipe in hand, while Neji leaned on Tsunade's desk and Sakura leaned her back on his chest, with his arms hugging her from behind and his chin on her shoulder. Kakashi leaned on a wall.

Hiruzen told them how her parents met. How her uncle was targeted on a family trip, and was killed when his family was ambushed. Her mother was taken hostage, and her uncle gave himself up to save her.

"But what does this have to do with what happened with my eyes?" She asked. By now Sakura's eyes returned to their vibrant green color.

"It has everything to do with your eyes Sakura-chan. You see, your uncle was the only other person who had eyes like those. It was a reason for him to be hunted down and captured by other villages. They wanted to research his eyes. It looks like you inherited those eyes from him."

"What are they called?" Asked Neji.

"Due to the fact that he was the only person who got them, they were never named. But since they appeared in you, we are going to have to add it as a bloodline limit." Hiruzen said with a glance to Tsunade, who started grumbling about 'more paper work'.

"What do they do, Sandaime-sama?" Asked Kakashi.

"Oh, they do a lot."

Everyone looked at him with curiosity on their faces, or what was seen of them, in Kakashi's case.

"Those eyes, Sakura-chan, are a combination of the Byakugan and the Sharingan."

Everybody was speechless.

"Tell me, Sakura-chan, could you control sand?"

Still in shock, Sakura just shook her head.

"Well it's a side effect. I'm not sure if you will have it or not, but in case you do, you will have to be sent to Suna, so the Kazakage, Gaara, could train you. Also, a member of the Hyuuga clan is going to have to train you in their fighting style, although it's not much of a problem, since Neji-kun here could help you with that. A member of the Uchiha clan is going to have to train you, too. You could ask Itachi or Shisui. If you could get both of them to agree, it would be even better. Kakashi-kun here could help you, too, with the sharingan side. That's about it for you two. You are dismissed. Now _we_ have to find a way to break this to both clan heads. The Uchiha are going to get this rubbed in their faces for a _very_ long time."

Nobody interrupted the former Hokage in his rant because they were too shocked to say anything, and Neji and Sakura left when they were dismissed.

"You've been thinking about this for a while now. Haven't you, Sarutobi-sensei?" Asked an amused Tsunade.

"Of course I have, Tsunade-Hime!" Said Hiruzen with a grin.

Tsunade shook her head at the older man's antics, and prayed for the heavens to help her.

"Shizune! Get me Uchiha Fugaku and Hyuuga Hiashi! Now!"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

…

After an intense sparring session with Neji, they laid on the grass under a tree surrounding the training grounds. Sakura felt that some of the tension and confusion left her. The thought of having a bloodline limit settled in a couple of hours ago, and she still didn't know what to think about it.

Noticing her dazed expression, Neji said, "Feeling better, Hime?"

Sakura let out a moan of frustration. "Not completely. I'm still a bit confused and my muscles are tense."

"Well, let me help you with that." Said Neji with a dark smirk on his face as he rolled on top of her. His knees were on either side of her hips, and his hands on either side of her head.

He leaned down till his body was flushed with hers, and he kissed her. It was a heated kiss, and Sakura couldn't help but bring her hands around to play with the hairs at the nape of his neck, then she started massaging his scalp like earlier that day. He couldn't stop the moan that escaped his lips, and he just managed to stop himself from grinding into her, when he felt two strong presences to his right.

He pulled back from her, and looked up at the two figures looming above them.

"I do want grandchildren, nephew, but don't think this is a bit _too_ early? And a bit inappropriate? Really? In the woods?" Asked a slightly amused Hiashi, who was standing beside a slightly amused Fugaku.

Yup. They were caught making out by the heads of the two most prestigious clans in Konoha. Oh, joy!

…

**A/N: I would like to thank you all for your reviews. You guys really make a person keep going.**

**I would like to ask if anybody has ever read a fic, other than this, which had Sasuke leave to Orochimaru on a mission like I did. If yes, please tell me what its name is.**

**Also, if anybody read anywhere about the bloodline I'm using please tell me where.**

**And I want some suggestions on the bloodlines' name, please.**

**Thoughts? Any side pairings you guys would like me to include in this fic?**

**Take care,**

**Zee **


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – Suna.**

After that embarrassing moment in the woods, both clan heads were now sitting calmly, albeit a bit stiffly, behind Hiashi's desk in the Hyuuga compound, sipping tea, as if it were a normal action that both clan heads often did.

The whole Hyuuga compound was on edge at having their rival clan's head in an office with their head. But that wasn't what worried Neji. No. it was that he and Sakura were at the receiving end of a heated glare from their own clan head. And although Neji knew that it was just to keep up appearances in front of the Uchiha clan head, he couldn't help but want to fidget. He held still despite his urges. He wasn't a Jonin for nothing.

He could feel his girlfriend try to do what he was doing, but was failing miserably. She was an expressive person by nature. Surprisingly enough, she was better than him in hiding her emotions and thoughts when in a battle.

After 15 minutes of waiting around, with two of the most feared clan heads playing 'house', a knock could be heard from the other side.

After getting permission from Hiashi, the door opened, and in came quit an odd combination of people.

First was Hinata, and although she had gained a lot of confidence from when she was younger, the-almost-sixteen-year-old girl looked flustered by the presences behind her, rightfully so.

After her entered Uchiha Shisui, then Uchiha Itachi. After passing greetings and settling down, the Uchiha clan head cleared his throat.

Noticing that everyone's attention has been captured, and that Fugaku wasn't talking, Hiashi started explaining what was going on.

"Something happened today that was unexpected." He paused here, glancing at Sakura, who blushed lightly. "I will be blunt and straight to the point. Your pink-haired friend, here," Gesturing at said pink-haired friend, "Has awoken a hidden bloodline limit." He paused so the people in the room would get used to the idea, before he threw the big bomb at them.

"Luckily, the Third had been expecting it, and had enough knowledge about it to help honing it." Here he stopped talking to give Fugaku the opportunity to talk, and explain about the blood line limit. He had no idea why, but the other clan head seemed excited about having the opportunity to do so. Almost like a child being handed a new toy. And being the grown-up that he is, Hiashi allowed the 'child' to have some fun. Of course he would never voice his thoughts to the guy practically bursting with excitement on the inside, but keeping cool on the outside. He was positive that he would be on the receiving end of his sons Tsukuyomi.

"This blood line limit Hiashi is talking about is not to be discussed outside of the people in this room, for fear for her, and the villages, safety." Began Fugaku. "That being said, I will explain to you what this limit means."

Itachi wanted to bash his head into a wall for all the pausing. But he refrained and was content with the fidgeting Hyuuga girl beside him that was expressing both of their exasperation.

"When Konoha was first founded, there were a lot of blood lines, and each clan was content with inbreeding. And as always, someone happened to disagree. There was an Uchiha girl, and a Hyuuga boy, who supposedly, fell in love, and fought to be together. The tales never said what the names of the two were, but, what they did say was that, although the clans disagreed with their desire to marry each other, the second Hokage had supported them. The clans only relented when the couple agreed to have their bloodlines restricted from them, by cutting the chakra pathways to their eyes which gave them eyesight as any civilian. But what neither clans thought about, was their kids. The kids didn't have the Hyuuga almost-white eyes, nor did they have abnormally black eyes and show hints of getting the Sharingan. So they disregarded the kids' ability as ninja. But what the parents never revealed was that the kids got both blood line limits in one. It never got named and it was never showed, until Sakura-san's uncle used it. After that the secret was exposed, and a lot of people found out about it. They knew from one look what it could do. It is like a white version of the Sharingan, so it was pretty obvious to any Konoha shinobi, who knew about that couple, what these eyes meant. And Shin, your uncle, Sakura-san, was killed because some shinobi tried kidnapping your mother to get to him. After some time your mother married and changed her last name, your grandparents died, and when you were born, you had the name 'Haruno'. Nobody thought to track down your mother since she never was a shinobi to begin with. But what nobody ever knew, was that there is still a possibility that she awakened it even without the use of chakra."

"How?" asked Shisui. "We all know that eye related blood lines require channeling chakra to the eyes."

Hiashi was the one to answer, "Except this one. It is activated for the first time by anger. Now tell me, Sakura, what, exactly, had you so angered that you activated a long lost bloodline limit?"

Everyone turned to a blushing Sakura.

"I... uh … umm…"

"I really don't think that that is the reason you have us gathered here, uncle." Said Neji with a tight voice.

Seeing that whatever it was that had Sakura so angry wasn't a thing to be discussed in public, Hiashi returned to the people around him and said, "Fair enough. You are all here because Sakura would need training in her blood line limit. The third and fifth Hogakes have put up a schedule for that training, and wisely put her in the hands of both our clans, since her blood line limit is almost like ours. Nobody, whether inside or outside the clans, should know about this. The Hyuuga clan will be training Sakura in its' techniques as she is to become the clans future Matriarch. That will be our excuse if any other Hyuuga, especially the elders, ask for a reason." Said Hiashi as he gave his daughter and nephew pointed looks, to which the both of them nodded.

"As for the Uchiha clan, we will train her in upmost secrecy. We are not to be caught while doing this. And if, by any chance, we were, we will declare Sakura as an adopted Uchiha to the clan head."

The stunned silence was broken by a lazy drawl, "I'm afraid that won't be acceptable." Said Kakashi from his perch on the window sill.

"And why not?" Asked Fugaku gruffly.

"Because it is already public knowledge that I've adopted Sakura-chan since her parents' accident." Said Kakashi, nose buried in his book.

Turning to look at Sakura for conformation, Fugaku glared at the nod she gave him.

"Nobody will question us training Sakura-chan, father." Said Itachi calmly from his place.

"We've been training with her for years now, and nobody said a thing."

Fugaku sighed but relented, "Fine, then."

Hiashi looked around and noted that everybody was waiting for orders.

"Okay, then. This is going to be the training schedule."

…

It's been three months since she started training with the clans. Two days for each clan, two days for Tsunade, and one day for Kakashi.

She was currently spent, lying on the ground with her head on Neji's abdomen, and his hand messing with her hair, when it happened.

She felt a rock flying towards them at blinding speed and all she could was close her eyes and hope that it just crumbled to dust. Which it did.

"Huh?" She said to Neji, who was looking at her smugly from his place.

She felt her jaw drop as the Hokages came out from the trees.

"What was _that_ supposed to be?!" Yelled Sakura.

"Well, Sakura-chan. I'm getting old, and honestly, waiting around for you take the hint I gave you three months ago wasn't cutting it. So I decided to take matters into my own hands." He third smiled at her confused expression, and simply waited for her to figure it out.

"Oh. _Oh!_"

"Yes, 'Oh'. You couldn't be slower, could you?"

Sakura scowled at Tsunade and started her yelling with Tsunade yelling right back at her.

Neji was standing next to the third rubbing his temples and sighing.

"What is it, Neji-kun? Can't handle little Sakura-Chan's volume?"

Neji sighed. "Don't get me wrong, Sandaime-sama. I love Sakura to bits and pieces. But … "

"But?" Prompted the old man.

"But she still doesn't know that we will be heading to Suna in the morning. Her volume's only going to increase."

"Hmm." Agreed the third. "Or she will have her vocal chords scratched, and wouldn't be able to heal them since you just tired her out with that training you two just did."

Neji smirked. "That was the plan from the beginning, Sandaime-sama."

…

Itachi, Shisui, Neji and Sakura have been on the road for three days, and it was a relief to see the Suna walls after so much of seeing nothing.

They caught sight of a familiar trio waiting for them at the gates, and Sakura rushed forward to meet Temari.

After a lot of hugging, squealing, and slapping Shisui and Kankuro upside the head, the group finally moved into the village, and went straight for the Kazekage building in the center.

After the pleasantries and formal welcoming, Gaara began.

"So. What I've gathered from your Hokage's message is that you 'suddenly' developed a bloodline limit for sand. Is that correct?"

Sakura and Shisui glanced at each other and then burst out laughing, Neji sighed and Itachi rubbed his temples.

"Oh, oh. I can't take it! I'm dying!" Yelled Shisui leaning heavily on Sakura who began to gather her composure, only to lose it again and fall to the ground laughing.

After they calmed down, Kankuro sighed and said, "What's so funny?"

Sakura ignored him and turned to Gaara, "Let me guess. Shishou sent you a message with gibberish and words far from each other or written _over_ each other, and you had to analyze it, right?"

Temari and Gaara shared a look, then turned back to the pinkette and simultaneously nodded.

"Yup. She was _definitely_ drunk." Snickered Shisui.

Itachi sighed and mumbled something under her breath about being in this situation before, then proceeded to tell the Kazekage everything in his shortcut way that he shared with said Kazekage and Neji obviously.

Honestly. How could these people relay so much information using the least possible set of words _ever_?

After hearing the explanation, Gaara leaned forward in his chair, interlaced his fingers in front of his mouth and smirked.

"I'll train you." Before she could thank him he continued, "Under one condition."

Temari, who was standing behind her brother to his left, glanced at him. _'What are you thinking about?'_

"Which is?" Asked Sakura hesitantly.

"I want you to help improve our hospital."

Itachi frowned. "That has to be discussed with our Hokage first, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara nodded. "I will give you time to contact her and discuss this matter. For now, Temari will show you to your quarters."

That was as good of a dismissal as any. They all filed out of the office, with Kankuro trailing behind them, talking loudly to Shisui about some new training he was having.

…

Itachi didn't waste any time in writing a letter for the Hokage. As soon as he stepped foot in their temporary home, he wrote to her and gave the letter to one of his ravens to take back to the village hidden in the leaves.

They would have to wait and see what her answer will be.

Itachi sighed when Shisui made some comment and Sakura punched him.

It's going to be a long wait.

…

Three days later they got a letter from their Hokage that they are to agree with the Kazekage, and start training immediately.

And they did. Gaara's training was brutal. Sakura had a feeling that he used her as a training dummy. But she couldn't complain since her Shishou used to do the same thing.

It was as Sakura and Gaara were walking back to the Kazekage's building that something caught Sakura's eyes. It was an old woman twitching her fingers. At first Sakura didn't know what she was doing, then Gaara nudged her with his elbow and tipped his head in the direction of the other side of the clearing where she saw a redheaded boy/man, battling with what looked like a puppet. That's when she remembered Kankuro's fighting style, and that Suna was known for its' puppetry and poisons.

Although Sakura didn't know a lot about the technique, even _she_ could tell that this woman was talented.

After half an hour they stopped, and the woman turned to them and nodded at the Kazekage politely, then she turned to look at Sakura.

"It's rude to stare young lady! Have you no manners!"

Sakura blushed at this, "G-gomen. I just..."

The old lady glared, "Well? Spit it out already!"

"Could you teach me how to do that?" Sakura blurted out.

The old woman glared. "And why do you think that _I_, lady Chiyo, would train _you_, an outsider! Preposterous!"

Sakura gawked at her. She hadn't known that there still were people in Suna that hated Konoha.

Before Sakura could speak, she heard Gaara's cold voice from her right, "Lady Chiyo. I would appreciate it if you don't disrespect one of the best ninja Konoha has to offer."

"Best my ass! I bet she's just here to act like a-!"

Gaara cut her off before she could continue that insult, "She is Lady Tsunade, the fifth Hokage's successor. The one that surpassed her. And even though you don't like the slug princess, you still admit that she is very powerful in both the medical and fighting fields. And I'd appreciate it if you don't insult Suna's guest _and_ my friend, Grandmother."

Being the smart person that he is, Gaara knew that calling her that would have her soften a little.

"She's your _grandmother_?" Asked Sakura in disbelief.

"No, she's mine." Drawled the other redhead that was training with lady Chiyo.

"Sasori-ni-san." Greeted Gaara.

Sasori just nodded in his direction, then turned to explain the situation to Sakura.

"My grandfather and Gaara's grandfather were siblings. So technically Chiyo-baa-san isn't his real grandmother. His siblings call her that since she's the closest they've ever had to a grandmother," He turned to smirk at his 'cousin', "And Gaara does it to pull her strings."

Lady Chiyo scowled and started grumbling under her breath at them.

"We must be going now. Have a good day." Said Gaara as he guided Sakura with his hand at the small of her back.

The whole way Sakura had her eyebrows pinched together and her lower lip jutted out in a pout. Something Neji noticed immediately when she and Gaara entered 'their' house.

Raising an eyebrow in Gaara's direction, who returned it with a shrug and rolling his eyes, Neji addressed Sakura, "What is it, Hime?"

She started mumbling something under her breath.

"You know I can't hear you when you're talking like that, Hime."

At this point, Shisui and Kankuro stopped fooling around and focused on Sakura.

"That old granny won't teach me." She said to Neji giving him that wide-eyed look she uses when something has her intrigued and she just _has_ to learn it.

Neji raised an eyebrow at her. Taking the sign for what it was, she began to rant about the 'old mean Granny'.

"Okay, wait!" Said Kankuro, gaining all of their attentions.

"You asked Granny Chiyo for training, and she didn't kill you?" Asked Kankuro with doubt coloring his features.

"I was with her." Said an emotionless Gaara.

Now _that _he could believe.

"Look, Sakura." Temari spoke up, "Don't take it personally. Granny Chiyo lost her only son and his wife –Sasori's parents-" At this Itachi perked up. "To the white fang of Konoha." –Only Sakura noticed the look of guilt that fleeted in her Sensei's lone eye- "And you know old people never let go of their grudges." Finished Temari with an eye roll.

Sakura sighed and slumped on the chair that was near her, put her elbow on the desk, placed her cheek in her upturned palm and started grumbling.

Neji shook his head at her antics as Itachi mussed up her hair. At her pout Kakashi ruffled her hair, too, which resulted in more grumbling and pouting from the pinkette, and laughter and smiles from almost everybody else.

…

That night Sakura sneaked out to the roof, where she knew her Sensei was sitting pretending to read his book, when they both knew his mind was elsewhere.

"It's not your fault Kaka-sensei." She said as she stood beside him.

Kakashi sighed and patted the spot next to him. When Sakura sat down, he said "I know, but I still couldn't help but feel guilty. He _was_ my father you know."

Not knowing exactly what to tell him, or how to comfort him, she scrunched up her nose trying to think of something.

Seeing this and noticing how cold she must feel with that top of hers, he said "But you know, a mug of your hot coca could do this old man some good in lifting his mood some."

She cracked a grin at him and punched him lightly in the arm before getting up, "You're not _old,_ Sensei!"

Kakashi couldn't help but smile at her.

As she turned around he spoke up, "Sakura?"

"Hm?" She inquired while twisting her upper body to look at him.

"Thanks." He said with an eye crinkle, to let her know that he was smiling.

Sakura beamed at him and continued on her way to making him that hot chocolate he requested with a skip in her step.

Kakashi looked up into the moon and sighed. He would always be grateful to have people like Sakura around to try and make him feel better.

…

It was a week after that, that Itachi came crashing through their door looking for Sakura.

"You're needed at the hospital, NOW!"

No need to say that everybody was on their ends wit. Itachi _never_ lost his composure and sure as hell _never_ **yelled.**

Sakura rushed to the hospital at her top speed with Itachi right next to her, explaining the situation, and the rest were behind them.

"Sasori got ambushed on his mission and is in critical condition."

So _that_ was why he was so … out-of-character. Itachi revealed some time during the past week that Sasori was a friend of his. They went on joint missions together since the Konoha-Suna alliance formed.

Sakura rushed to the hospital entrance and the nurses began relaying the details with just one look from the girl.

She reached the ER but her way was blocked by Lady Chiyo.

"Could you please move?" Asked Sakura politely yet with a tight voice, showing her urgency.

"No!" Yelled the old woman. "You foreigner are _not_ going anywhere **near** my grandson! You'll just kill him!"

"He'll die if you don't move! Dammit!" Yelled Sakura.

"NO!" Yelled Chiyo again, and she opened her mouth to say something when she was cut off by Sakura.

"_**I'll show you **__**No!**__**"**_ And she promptly shoved the old woman out of the way using her monstrous strength, and barreled her way into the ER and started shouting orders.

Chiyo was about to go after her when Gaara appeared and restrained her with his sand.

Before she could throw a fit, Gaara silenced her and said, "Just watch, Lady Chiyo. You won't regret it."

And so Chiyo watched, fascinated by the young girls work as she healed her grandchild with seemingly little effort, when the hospital booked his case as hopeless not half an hour ago.

After an hour Gaara let her free from his sands confine and he turned to Temari, "Keep me updated on his condition."

He waited for her nod and then excused himself to his Kage duties.

Two hours after that, and four updates to Gaara, Sakura was finished and exiting the room.

She smiled and said, "He's conscious if you want to see him."

The Subaku siblings and Itachi went to see him. Sakura turned to Lady Chiyo and bowed politely to her and said, "I apologize for my rude behavior earlier, but I couldn't let you keep me away from my patient."

Chiyo just stared at her and Sakura was half afraid that the old lady was going to whip out some puppets and start attacking her.

Her fears were put to rest when the old lady spoke, "Meet me tomorrow at the same time, same place you came by last week."

And then she turned on her heal and entered her grandsons room.

Sakura looked up with a bewildered expression to see the same look on Shisui's face, Kakashi with his eye wide and his book about to fall from his grasp, and Neji with a haughty smirk.

"She's going to teach me! SHE'S GONNA TEACH ME! SHANNARO!" Yelled Sakura happily as she jumped to hug Neji.

…

Training with the old lady was harder than training with Tsunade and Gaara, _combined. _But it wasn't anything she couldn't take.

Sasori had gifted her with a puppet a week after his release from the hospital, saying that he got bored while on 'house-arrest'. Suffice to say that Neji didn't like it. He disliked it even more when he saw that the puppet was a poor imitation of him. Sakura named it Neji-junior much to his chagrin.

Neji officially started to hate Sasori when he started calling Sakura 'dolly', which he got wacked upside the head for, from an over-protective Itachi.

It all turned into a big joke when this Deidara guy stepped in. Apparently he came 'To visit Sasori-Danna, Un!' But started to laugh his butt of when he saw Itachi smacking said 'Danna' upside the head.

"Ita-chi-chi! Long time no see, yeah!"

It was really hard on Sakura not to laugh with Kankuro, Shisui and Deidara acting their stupid selves, and Gaara, Itachi and Sasori glaring and trying to reign in their respective family members/friends.

Currently she was on the way back from a shopping trip with Temari. Tomorrow they will be headed back to Konoha, and she can't wait!

Sure she liked the Subaku siblings and the Suna citizens, but she just wanted some alone time with Neji-kun, and she was not going to get that with all these people surrounding them.

Plus, Naruto is supposed to be coming home soon! She can't wait to see the knucklehead!

Neji looked up from the book he was reading when she came in. She peered around and didn't sense anyone else, squealed and leaped to sit on his lap.

Neji welcomed her with a smirk and he nuzzled her neck with a content sigh.

He relaxed further when she began playing with his hair.

"Hime?"

"Hm?"

"Did you think of a name yet?"

Sakura got this weird vision where he would ask her the same thing if she were pregnant. She pushed that thought, and the blush that came with it, down.

Thank God Neji had his face buried in her neck and his eyes closed.

"I was thinking about ユニークな目 (Yunīkuname)."

"Unique eyes?"

"Mmhmm."

"That's a great name."

Sakura smiled.

"Now, tell me what you were thinking about that made you blush." Neji said with a smirk.

"Eh?!"

…

**A/N: **Well, it's been a while. *Looks away guiltily*

Anyway! :D

Guess What! I scored an A on my graduation project :D

So thanks for your patience.

I actually had most of this already written but I had to finish it :P

The name (ユニークな目 (Yunīkuname)) is from (BlossomsCherry). Thank you, by the way :P

Tell me what you guys think

Till next Chapter,

Zee


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – A lot has been going on.**

_Pant. Pant. Pant_

'**Come **_**on**_** Sakura! **_**Faster!**_**'**

'_I'm trying Inner!'_

It's been a week since they've been back.

'**Well you're not trying hard enough!'**

It was heard that Naruto was seen entering the gates.

'_The bastard didn't even _say_ anything when we talked a couple of days ago!'_

Neji was running right beside her and she could feel his soft gaze on her and she thanked the heavens for sending them to each other.

With that thought and a soft smile, she slammed Tsunade's office's door open; startling the people inside.

"Haruno-Hatake Sakura! You know better than to barge into my office like that young Lady!"

Ignoring her mentor for a moment Sakura's smile turned into a grin at seeing the head of sunshine blonde.

"Naruto!"

"Sakura-chan!"

With a high pitched squeal Sakura lunged into the waiting arms of her hearts brother and they both began talking a mile a minute, much to the amazement and annoyance of the room's occupants.

Now it was true that Neji grew out of his jealousy from Naruto and Sasuke, but he _still_ didn't like the idea of anybody else touching her like that. So when Tsunade yelled at them to _'Be quiet and stop acting like a bunch of three year olds!'_ he would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit satisfied.

He was even more satisfied when Naruto suddenly smashed into the ground with a loud _thunk_ sporting a bump on his head.

"What was that for, Sakura-chan!?"

"For not telling me that you were coming when we talked the other day!"

"But I wanted to make it a surprise …" Mumbled Naruto.

"No, buts!" Said Sakura sternly, while giving him a death glare.

Tsunade sighed. She was getting too old for this.

"Alright you two. Out of my office. Go celebrate or something, and let the grownups talk."

Before Naruto could start yelling about 'being a grown up, too! Dettebayo!' Sakura was dragging him out by the ear with Neji trailing behind them while wearing a smirk on his face.

When the door was closed Tsunade turned to look at Jiraya and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know what you two have been doing these past years Jiraya, but it obviously wasn't training. He's still as childish as when he left .. maybe even more!"

"Tsunade-Hiiiiiiiiimeeeeee! Of course we trained! That was the whole purpose of going out of the village!" He started whining childishly, which had Tsunade sweat dropping.

'_Now I know why Naruto didn't mature. He was stuck with an older whinier version of his-self.'_

"Alright, alright! You big baby! Debrief so I could kick you out of my office!"

* * *

It's been a little over three months since Naruto came back. He tried locating Ino a lot, but every time he gets close, she disappears.

He really wanted to talk to her. It got to a point where Sakura had to pry out the information from him. Usually he was a blabber mouth, but recently he had been quite and had an annoyed look on his face. Or so Sakura claimed.

When he -finally- told her what was bothering him, she smiled and gave him a little debriefing about what happened after both he and Sasuke left the village.

Apparently Sasuke had showed an interest in Hyuuga Hinata before he left -This shocked him beyond words- and Ino, who was still not out of her fangirl-Over-Sasuke phase at that time, had caught wind of this, and tried to belittle Hinata to scare her and make her forget about Sasuke.

That didn't go as she planned, because while Hinata gained a lot of confidence and lost her stutter since mending her relationship with Neji, she still stayed a quiet, peaceful girl. The only people who knew that were her close circle of friends and family who she interacts with on a daily basis. Which led to Ino's miscalculation, and then her shock, when Hinata stood up for herself, and stated that under no circumstances would she allow Ino, or anybody else for that matter, to tell her what to, or not to, do. She told Ino that she was interested in Sasuke as much as he was interested in her, and that Sasuke was the one who initiated contact with her, and that she was not willing to stop him because it made her happy.

Ino, after she got over her shock, noticed that Sakura and Tenten were giving her disapproving stares. So, she got up, turned swiftly on her heal and left their weekly gathering.

Sakura and Tenten decided to give her a couple of days to cool off and then find her to get her to see reason and logic. But Ino, as she has been doing with Naruto these past months, kept disappearing. The girl just didn't want to be found.

They were pleasantly surprised when she showed up to the next weekly gathering, and stiffly apologized to Hinata for the week previous.

Sakura admitted that there was something off about Ino's apology and demeanor that day, and that she still isn't as open as before when around Hinata, but that was to be expected as after effects of _'getting over Sasuke.'_

But Sakura admitted that Ino never said anything about having an interest in Naruto, thus everybody's astonishment.

After that, Naruto went home, feeling a bit wary. He felt off for a reason but couldn't put his finger on the reason.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he reached his apartment floor and saw the object of his thoughts leaning against the wall next to his door, with the back of her head resting on the wall, tilted up, and her eyes closed. Her face had a soft smile on it. She must be thinking about something that's making her happy.

Naruto leaned on a wall a little further down the hall and observed her. She was wearing her typical purple outfit, her legs, midriff and arms showing.

As Naruto continued to examine her, he admitted to himself that she _was_ quite beautiful.

After ten minutes of just staying still, being who he was, Naruto couldn't stand the stillness and silence anymore. So he drew closer and got in Ino's face.

When she still didn't move, he nudged her gently, and whispered her name softly. Now don't be too shocked at his quietness. He had seen firsthand what would happen to him should he ever startle a konoichi –_ahem Sakura ahem-_ and he didn't want that to happen again, _thankyouverymuch!_

Ino's eyes popped open, and she stared at Naruto with a look of shock. She either hadn't sensed him or was shocked by his thoughtfulness. Naruto was leaning towards the latter, since Sakura told him that Ino was a very good sensor, thus, her ability to 'disappear' when she sensed someone near her.

"I've been looking a lot for you lately, Ino." Naruto said softly, with a soft reprimanding look.

Ino looked away guiltily. She still hasn't said a word to him, so Naruto, wanting to give her time to talk at her own pace, offered her to go inside for some tea, and opened the door for her when she accepted.

Stepping inside the apartment, Naruto saw the look of surprise on Ino's face, when she saw the tidiness of his apartment. He chuckled.

"Don't look so shocked, Ino. Being friends with Sakura-Chan and Sasuke-teme makes you –forcefully- pick up some of their habits."

At the mention of Sasuke, a look of determination entered Ino's eyes, as she turned them to look at Naruto, who had already set the tea kettle on the stove.

Seeing this Naruto gestured to the kitchen table and Ino pulled out a chair and sat down with Naruto pulling a chair opposite of her.

Taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves, Ino gave him a smile that he had trouble deciphering, and started talking.

"I'm sorry about the other day, Naruto. It's just that you've been on my thoughts a lot since you left, even before that, and I couldn't contain myself when I saw you. I really missed you Naruto ... k-kun."

She swallowed and then continued. "I was going to talk to you before you left but I couldn't muster up the courage to do so."

She gave him a watery sad smile that made feel weird. He was about to talk when the tea kettle went off and he had to get up.

While preparing the tea, he could feel Ino sigh in relief behind him.

Naruto was confused. Sure he was happy that he finally got a girl's –_a hot girl's_\- attention, but something was off. Something was tingling in the back of his mind, scratching, and begging to be let out, but he didn't know what it was.

Hiding his frown when he turned to face Ino, he placed a cup of tea in front of her, and took his seat again.

Ino took a sip from her cup with a trembling hand, and a grimace. Her features turned neutral after realizing that the tea wasn't horrible like she suspected.

"So," Began Naruto, "What is it, exactly, you would like me to do?"

* * *

Sakura was in the middle of her training session with Kakashi when she felt it. A burning so bad in her right shoulder, where the seal she shared with Sasuke was, had her bending over in pain, and almost get hit by her former teacher.

"Sakura? What's wrong?" Asked a worried Kakashi.

"S-Sasuke.."

Kakashi stiffened. "I didn't know that it caused this much pain when he communicates with you."

"I-it doesn't. it looks like he's in trouble to be sending this much chakra into the seal!"

Kakashi was alarmed. One of his students might be in danger and he didn't know what to do!

Sakura spoke up before he could move a muscle. "I-I think that I'm about to pass out so we could talk, take me to Shishou's office Kaka-sensei!"

And she fainted.

As fast as anybody had ever seen him moving, Kakashi had Sakura in his arms and was barging into Tsunada's office, explaining to a half drunk Hokage, what was going on.

* * *

"Sasuke?! Sasuke?!"

"I'm here Sakura!"

"What's going on!? Why can't I see you?!"

"I'm not meditating. Sakura, listen to me! This is important!"

"Okay! Okay!"

"Orochimaru decided he wanted to take my body early so no-one from Konoha could try to stop him. He's going to do it in seven days. It takes that much time to prepare for!"

"Okay! I should be in Shishou's office right now. I'll tell her right away!"

"Sakura .."

"Yes, Sasuke?"

A pause.

"Please, hurry. And ... and if anything happened to me ... tell.." A sigh. Then "Tell my family, and Naruto that I love them. And I love you too. And .. tell .. tell Hinata that .. that I'm sorry."

"You don't want me to tell her that you love her?"

"No. If she is to ever know that I love her ... I want to be the one to tell her. And if I can't" -Another sigh- "Then I don't want her to hang her life on me. I want her to find someone who loves her, someone that she could be happy with. It will be easier for her to do that if she never knew that I loved her .. if she wasn't hung up on me..."

"It's too late for that Sasuke."

"What do you mean?"

"Hinata is already hung up on you. She's been waiting for you to get back even before you stepped outside the village. So don't you dare die, Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked, but he still had a soft look in his eyes. He thanked God that Sakura couldn't see him at the moment.

"Hai."

He said it with so much determination that Sakura actually believed that he could take on the snake sannen alone.

Smiling softly, Sakura cut the connection between them, and woke up with tears pouring onto her cheeks.

At seeing her tears, Fugaku's stomach dropped. Itachi's heart sank, and Shisui's stomach churned, on the verge of losing everything in it, maybe even more.

When Sakura looked around, she saw the three, with Kakashi, Tsunade, Neji and the third surrounding her on the couch.

She smiled at the three to reassure them that Sasuke was still alive. The three breathed out a sigh of relief, some more noticeably than others, and stepped back to give her some space.

Squeezing Neji's hand that was in hers she looked Tsunade in the eye and said, "We have to start moving. Orochimaru is going to take over Sasuke's body soon. We have a week till the preparations are done."

Tsunade's look hardened.

"Shizune! Get me both Nara's, Shiranui Genma, Mitarashi Anko and Uzumaki Naruto in here! Now!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama!"

* * *

"Hatake Kakashi, Haruno-Hatake Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Shisui and Hyuuga Neji, the seven of you are to go to Orochimaru's hideout, assassinate him and bring back Uchiha Sasuke with you. Your priority is Sasuke. Whatever happens, _don't_ let Orochimaru take his body, and do _not_ let anything happen to him. Even if you are not able to kill Orochimaru. Bring. Sasuke. Back. Am I clear?"

"Hai!"

* * *

It took them two days to reach the hideout. How no-one noticed it when it was in The Fire Country's borders was beyond all of them.

It was a shady looking building, but after one look from Sakura and Neji, they figured that the actual hideout was under the building.

Stopping a good distance away from the building, so that they won't be detected, but still in Neji's range (He naturally had a larger range than Sakura because he had his byakugan from when he was born, and activated it at three, while Sakura didn't have her eyes for that long.) they all turned to Kakashi -their leader- to know what the plan is.

Kakashi threw two pens at Neji and Sakura, which they caught, and ordered them to draw the outline of the base on a scroll.

They unrolled the scroll, knelt on the ground and after some discussion between the two, Sakura started drawing the first floor on the right, while Neji drew the second (bottom) floor on the left.

When they were done, everybody crouched in a circle around the scroll.

"Sasuke-san is here." Said Neji as he drew a mark in the second floor.

"Orochimaru and Kabuto are here." Said Sakura as she drew a mark on the first (upper) floor.

"The place is crawling with Orochimaru's experiments. There's 50 of them. They are mostly centered here, though." Said Neji as he wrote 34 inside what represented a big room on the first floor. Then he continued, "The others are scattered around the base, there are three of them with Sasuke-san. This here," said Neji marking a room in the second floor, on the opposite side of Sasuke's location, "And these two," he said marking two rooms close to it, "are being guarded by three people each, two on the outside, and one on the inside for each room. The other four are patrolling the base."

Kakashi looked at the map one more time, before looking at the Nara next to him, "Any ideas, Shikamaru?"

Said person sighed, "Troublesome, but yeah ... I kinda do have an idea." He said while sticking his pinky inside his ear.

"Well then, lazy guy, let's hear it." Said Genma rolling his trademark senbon in his mouth.

Ignoring the womanizer, Shikamaru turned to look at Sakura. "You can contact Sasuke, correct?"

At this Sakura nodded.

"Okay, then this is what I've been thinking about ..."

* * *

Sasuke sighed. He was really starting to get annoyed with the three females around him. He _really_ didn't want anything to do with them. They were nowhere near Hinata's level. He let out a sigh at the thought of her. He couldn't wait till he got back so he could ask her out.

A few moments later, he felt the seal on his right shoulder tingle. Sitting in a meditative style, he ignored those around him, and concentrated on the seal, opening his eyes inside his mindscape, he was greeted by both Sakura and Naruto.

"Hey, ya teme!" Naruto greeted him with a cheerful grin.

"Why are _you_ here, Dobe?"

"Well, Sakura-Chan doesn't have the heart to tell you, so I'm here to do it instead!" Naruto answered with the widest grin known to mankind.

Sasuke gave him a flat look, while Sakura looked at Naruto as though he was an alien.

"Tell me what, Dobe?"

"Well, you see teme, we don't have the reinforcements, or will to come and save you. We've been talking about it for a couple of days, and decided that you're just not worth it anymore. You agreed to go on this mission, meaning that you were already corrupted in the first place. So, we'll leave you with the snake guy."

And Naruto was promptly punched a few feet high into the air and back a few, well maybe a lot of, feet courtesy of Sakura.

"You moron!" Yelled Sakura, "Now is not the time for playing pranks! You're only here because you were too thick-headed and couldn't understand the plan from the first time!"

"But Sakura-Chan ..."

"No buts, Naruto!"

After sending one last glare at Naruto, she turned to Sasuke, who had a smirk on his face, "Sasuke, we're a small distance away from the hideout, and I'm here to tell you the plan because you are a part of it."

Sasuke nodded his head, to show that she has his full attention.

"Okay, this is the plan ..."

* * *

Sasuke opened his eyes to see that the three girls were still around him.

'_The first stage is that you get rid of the three people that are with you in that room.'_

Sasuke got up and activated his sharingan.

"Hey Sasuke-kun, I think I feel that someone is approaching the base." Said a redheaded girl.

"I'm sure that you're right, Karin." Said Sasuke while pulling out his Katana and getting closer to the girl.

Said oblivious girl turned to smile smugly at the two other girls, when she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Looking down she saw a tip of a katana she knew well.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

But Sasuke wasn't listening, he pulled his weapon out and Shunshined to behind the two other girls, getting rid of them, too.

'_Then, head out of the room, and try to kill both guards that patrol that floor. It takes each of them about 20 minutes to reach the door to the room that you're in. When you've gotten rid of them both head to the upper level. You might come across Genma and Shikamaru. They are going to the three locked rooms to check them out. Do you know what's in there?'_

'_No.'_

After killing the two guards, he headed for the stairs, but not before he saw the last guard to the rooms drop dead.

'_Don't worry about the two patrolling guards of the upper level, we would take care of them.'_

When he reached the first floor, he found the two dead a few feet away. So he continued without even a second glace.

'_Kakashi-sensei, Anko and Shisui are going to head straight to Orochimaru and Kabuto. The rest of us are going to the big room on the upper level to get rid of the experiments there.'_

He could hear the fights going on in the 'entertaining' room. Explosives and yelling was heard from down the hall as he increased his speed.

'_You are to meet us there. We have to get rid of all of them before continuing onward to help Kaka-sensei and the others.'_

Sasuke barged into the room to see one of 'the beasts' -as he calls them- about to attack the Dobe from behind. Acting quickly, he threw a kunai that embedded itself hilt-deep into the beasts' skull.

"I see that your skills haven't improved yet, Dobe."

"Neither have yours, teme." Said Naruto as one of his clones attacked a beast that was about to attack Sasuke.

The both of them turned back-to-back to face the beasts that were around them.

"Let's show 'em what were made of, teme!"

"Hn, Dobe."

"Not without me, you two!" Said Sakura as she jumped next to them.

"Alright! Team 7 is back! Dettebayo!"

And with that they attacked simultaneously.

What was weird though, was that Sakura was using Fire jutsues and the gentle fist. Shaking his head, Sasuke concentrated on his own battle. He'll ask about that later.

15 minutes later all the beasts were dead.

"Let's go!" Commanded Itachi, while giving Sasuke a nod. He would reunite with his brother properly, once he was sure that they were out of danger.

Arriving at the room Orochimaru was in, they found it to be a lab. The roof was blown off and Orochimaru was on a giant snake that was being brought down by Shikamaru and Anko.

Kakashi, Genma and Shisui were fighting Orochimaru, along with the ninken.

Jumping into the fray, team seven landed beside their teacher, while Neji went to help bring down the summon, and Itachi showed up next to his cousin.

"Sasuke ... It's good to see you."

"You too sensei."

"So it's true then Sasuke? You've been manipulating me and Kabuto this whole time?"

Sasuke just Hn-ed while looking around for Kabuto. How on earth did he forget about Kabuto?

"He's dead!" Hissed Orochimaru. "Your _sensei_ made sure of it!"

Well, _some_body sure was pissed.

"Enough talking! Let's give this guy what he deserves! Dettebayo!"

With that Orochimaru found himself at the receiving end of six attacks, each from a legendary Ninja. His body was already weak. Nobody, not even Sasuke knew this, but the body he was in now, didn't last as long as he hoped. That was the reason he wanted to take over Sasuke's body earlier.

But alas, his plans failed. And now, he was going to die.

But let it not be said that Orochimaru went down without a fight.

* * *

Three days, a lot of healing, bone crushing hugs(_everybody_ had to hug Sasuke. And yes, even Genma and Anko. Shikamaru declined though, much to Sasuke's relief) and thousands of explanations (About what was going on in the village, and why does Sakura use Hyuuga _and_ Uchiha techniques, and _'Holy shit! Sakura-Chan! You've creepy eyes just like the teme's!'_) later the group found themselves entering the hidden leaf village, with a scroll containing Orochimaru's body and another containing Kabuto's, both tucked securely into Kakashi's Jonnin vest, wearing large smiles.

Word spread fast on the return of Uchiha Sasuke and his mission. The Patriarch of the Uchiha clan and his wife made their way to the Hokage tower as fast as they could.

Opening the door to Tsunade's office, Mikoto felt her heart release all the worry she had been feeling since her younger son left, and she pulled him into a hug.

She expected him to pull away, or be stiff in front of his friends, but she was pleasantly surprised when he hugged her back and buried his head into her neck.

"I missed you, Kaa-san." Whispered Sasuke so that only she could hear.

That broke her heart even more and she started sobbing while refusing to let him go, not that Sasuke minded.

"Jeez, Aunt Mikoto. You're acting like he got back from the dead." Said Shisui.

Seeing that this was getting her nowhere productive, Tsunade turned to Kakashi and asked, "Is he dead?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Answered Kakashi while handing her the scrolls.

"Alright! You're all dismissed! Be back here tomorrow at 8 AM sharp for a proper debriefing. Mikoto, take your son and go home. And Hatake! Don't be late!"

Mikoto practically dragged Sasuke home, had him take a proper shower and fed him till she was satisfied.

Fugaku entered the kitchen and saw his wife trying to feed his second son what seemed to be his third piece of carrot cake.

"Let him go Mikoto. I'm sure he has a lady waiting for him right about now."

At this Sasuke blushed. _How on earth did they know?_

"Ah! Yes, yes. Shisui told us" -_'That's how'_\- "that you are interested in Hinata! My, my Sasuke! I've got to hand it to you that you have great taste in women! Just like your father of coarse ..."

Fugaku tilted his head in the direction of the door, signaling his son to escape, and that he will handle in.

Nodding in thanks Sasuke was passing next to his father when he heard him say, "I'm proud of you, Sasuke."

* * *

Sasuke was on cloud nine. He was back home. He's seen his mother. His father _finally_ acknowledged him. And he was on his way to see the girl that plagued his thought through his whole mission.

His world came crashing down when he reached the porch outside of her bedroom and saw her crying on Sakura's shoulder.

Sakura noticed him first, gave him a wink, then shoved Hinata off of her, got up and went inside without explaining anything.

Hinata was too shocked to move. Why did Sakura do that? Did she think Hinata was stupid? Or was that her way of telling her that Sasuke wasn't interested in her anymore? Or –

"Why are you crying?"

Hinata looked up to find Sasuke standing there with his hands clenched in his pockets.

When she didn't answer him, he got in her face and asked, "Who do I have to beat up for making you cry, Hinata?"

Her tears continued while she banged her balled up fists on his chest. "You!" She Sobbed.

"Me?" Asked Sasuke astonished.

"Yes! You didn't come to see me and I thought ... I thought that ..."

"Thought what, Hi-na-ta?" asked Sasuke, looking her in the eyes with a soft look.

"Oh, Sasuke! I missed you _so_ much!" Said Hinata as she wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder.

Sasuke picked her up, sat down and placed her on his lap and buried his head into her hair.

He was home. _He was __**home**__._

* * *

Life in Konoha went back to normal. It's been six months since Sasuke's been back and Sakura couldn't be any happier.

Hiashi took Hanabi and Mrs. Hyuuga to visit some relatives, so that left the main house to Neji, Hinata and her. So they decided to invite Sasuke, Naruto and Ino (Naruto's girlfriend) over for dinner.

Sasuke had his arm around Hinata's shoulders and was whispering something to her that made her giggle.

Naruto was with Neji and Sakura in the kitchen, helping bring the dishes over.

Ino couldn't _stand_ the lovy dovy scene in front of her. Her hand tightened on her glass.

What does he _see_ in her?! She's obviously a total fake!

Hinata turned as red as a tomato, when Sasuke suddenly kissed her cheek.

The glass broke in Ino's hand.

"_THAT'S __**IT**_!" Ino screeched.

"Ino, what's gotten into you?" Asked a wary Sasuke.

"YOU! You've gotten into me! I've been trying to get your attention since you came back! I've been planning to make you love _me_ instead of her! But noooooo, you only have eyes for the freak!"

"What the hell Ino!? You're dating Naruto! My best friend!"

"Ha! Dating he says! I'm just using him to make you feel jealous!"

A plat crashed behind her and she heard a gasp.

Turning around she saw Sakura, Naruto and Neji standing in the doorway. From the hand on her mouth and the plate at her feet, it was obvious that Sakura was the one to make all the noise.

Naruto snorted softly. "You know, from day one I thought something was fishy about this whole thing. I knew that there was nobody who would love me, but I still pushed it to the back of my mind and hoped I was wrong. Heh, the only time I was right and I don't even want to be."

He turned around to leave but Sakura caught his arm. "Naruto ..."

"It's okay, Sakura-Chan. I just need some time alone." He gave her a broken smile that stabbed repeatedly at her heart.

Looking to Neji for guidance, he shook his head in a signal to let things be for now and give Naruto some space.

Reluctantly, she let his arm go.

"Okay ... But!" Naruto looked at her from the corner of his eye, "Take the kittens with you?"

Naruto snorted. "They're not kittens anymore Sakura-Chan. They're more like lions now."

Sakura kissed his cheek and patted his arm and went to gather the 'kittens'. She packed some food for Naruto, too. Though she knew he wouldn't eat it.

After seeing Naruto out, Sakura stomped back to the previous room and saw everybody glaring Ino, who was fidgeting slightly.

"_What_ are you still _doing_ here, **Ino**?"

"I-I ..."

"You _nothing!_ You **are** nothing! Get out of here Ino! What you did was despicable! Absolutely outrageous! OUT! _**OUT INO!**_"

Ino scurried out of the Hyuuga compound with an empty feeling in her chest.

'_What had she done?'_

* * *

**An: Uuuuuuuuuuugh, Hi?**

**I'm so sorry that it's been a long time since my last update, but I couldn't help it!**

**I graduated, got engaged, found a new project to work on, began a diet for my wedding (I'm a girl) and I'm planning my wedding!**

**So, as a sorry from me to you, here's this extra long chapter that is **_**packed**_** with exciting events! :D  
**

**I don't know when I'll be able to update again, but I'm planning on finishing this before my wedding.**

**Sorry that there wasn't a lot of NejiSaku in this chapter :P**

**Please tell me your thoughts! Thanks **

**Zee ;) **


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